Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

सुवर्णं रजतं वापि ब्राह्मणेभ्यो युधिष्ठिर । ददाति तोयमध्यस्थः सोऽग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ vāpi brāhmaṇebhyo yudhiṣṭhira | dadāti toyamadhyasthaḥ so'gniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, celui qui, se tenant au milieu des eaux, donne or ou argent aux brāhmanes, obtient un mérite égal au sacrifice d’Agniṣṭoma.

Word by Word

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तोयमध्यस्थः: standing in the midst of water
• तोयमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (तोयस्य मध्ये स्थितः = standing in water)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अग्निष्टोमफलम्: the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma (sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोमफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + फल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निष्टोमस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīrtha (jala-madhya dāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands waist-deep in the Narmadā, hands extended offering gold/silver to brāhmaṇas on the ghāṭa edge; sunlight glints on water and metal; attendants hold cloth bundles and ritual pots.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha-dharma teaches that dāna offered with ritual sincerity in a sacred setting can equal the merit of elaborate Vedic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā tīrtha context of Narmadeśvara described in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of gold or silver to brāhmaṇas, performed while standing in the water (as a tīrtha-rite).