Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तस्य पार्श्वगतो रक्षो विनयादवनिं गतः । पूजितो दानसन्मानैरिदं वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tasya pārśvagato rakṣo vinayādavaniṃ gataḥ | pūjito dānasanmānairidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Translation

S’approchant de lui, le rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa) s’inclina jusqu’à terre par déférence; puis, honoré par des dons et des marques de respect, il prononça ces paroles.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of him’

• पार्श्वगतः: having gone near (to his side)
• पार्श्वगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्श्व + गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘gone to the side/near’ (पार्श्वं गतः)

• रक्षः: a rākṣasa
• रक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘a rākṣasa/demon’

• विनयात्: out of humility
• विनयात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ‘from/through humility’ (ablative of cause)

• अवनिम्: to the earth/ground
• अवनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘gone’

• पूजितः: honoured
• पूजितः: Karta (Predicate participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘honoured’

• दानसन्मानैः: by gifts and honours
• दानसन्मानैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + सन्मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — ‘by gifts and honours’ (दान + सन्मान)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘this’

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator); quoted speech begins next verse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa, formidable yet ceremonially composed, approaches Maya’s cave; he steps down from pride to courtesy, offering gifts while Maya remains seated in ascetic poise.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Maya (implied)
• Dāna (gifts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid conflict-driven figures, Purāṇas highlight codes of conduct—humility, honoring guests, and the social dharma of dāna and respect.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the scene is situated in the Vindhya setting introduced earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (gift-giving) and sanmāna (honoring) are mentioned as acts of respect, not as a formal ritual.