Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गच्छेद्विमानमारूढः सोऽप्सरोवृन्दवेष्टितः । उत्तमं यो गृहं दद्यात्सप्तधान्यसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

gacchedvimānamārūḍhaḥ so'psarovṛndaveṣṭitaḥ | uttamaṃ yo gṛhaṃ dadyātsaptadhānyasamanvitam

Translation

Il s’en va, monté sur un char céleste, entouré de troupes d’apsaras ; tel est celui qui donne une demeure excellente, pourvue des sept grains.

Word by Word

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विमानम्: a celestial car
• विमानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आरूढः: having mounted
• आरूढः: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अप्सरो-वृन्द-वेष्टितः: surrounded by a host of apsarases
• अप्सरो-वृन्द-वेष्टितः: Karta-visheshana (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + वेष्टित (कृदन्त; √वेष्ट्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (तृतीया-सम्बन्ध: 'surrounded by'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वेष्टित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेषण

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृहम्: a house
• गृहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सप्त-धान्य-समन्वितम्: endowed with seven kinds of grain
• सप्त-धान्य-समन्वितम्: Karma-visheshana (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त; √अन्वि/अनु-इ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (बहुव्रीहि-सदृश विशेषणार्थ: 'endowed with'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समन्वित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa) speaking to King Uttānapāda (deduced from immediate context of Adhyāya 50)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand donation scene: a newly built house offered to brāhmaṇas/guests, with baskets of seven grains displayed; above, the donor ascends in a jeweled vimāna, encircled by apsarases with garlands.

Characters & Entities

• Vimāna
• Apsaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting others with stable dwelling and sustenance is exalted as a high form of dharma yielding celestial reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) region is the broader sacred setting; the verse itself focuses on dāna rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donating a good house (gṛha-dāna) together with provisions—symbolized by the ‘seven grains’ (sapta-dhānya).