Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं दद्याद्भक्त्या द्विजोत्तमे । तर्पितास्तेन देवाः स्युर्मनुष्याः पितरस्तथा

Transliteration

suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ vastraṃ dadyādbhaktyā dvijottame | tarpitāstena devāḥ syurmanuṣyāḥ pitarastathā

Translation

Avec dévotion, l’on doit offrir or, argent et vêtements à un brāhmaṇa éminent; par cet acte, les devas sont apaisés, ainsi que les hommes et les ancêtres.

Word by Word

• सुवर्णम्: gold
• सुवर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• रजतम्: silver
• रजतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• वस्त्रम्: cloth/garment
• वस्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative singular

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; should give

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Instrumental singular

• द्विजोत्तमे: to/for the best of the twice-born (a Brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Recipient-context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Locative singular; द्विजेषु उत्तमः (best of twice-born; i.e., Brahmin)

• तर्पिताः: satisfied
• तर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तर्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √तृप् (धातु) + णिच्? causative sense + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative plural (satiated/pleased)

• तेन: by that (act)/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Instrumental singular (by that/by him)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative plural

• स्युः: would be/are (become)
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; Parasmaipada; would be/should be

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Co-subject/सहकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative plural

• पितरः: ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Co-subject/सहकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative plural (irregular stem)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/रीतिवाचक-अव्ययम्; adverb (also/likewise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers folded cloth, silver, and a small gold piece to a venerable brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha pavilion; in the background, subtle iconographic hints of devas above and pitṛs receiving satisfaction below (symbolic).

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selfless giving to a worthy recipient is shown as a harmonizing act that benefits divine, human, and ancestral spheres.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of suvarṇa (gold), rajata (silver), and vastra (clothing) to a dvijottama (excellent Brāhmaṇa).