Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अश्वं रथं गजं यानं तुलापुरुषमेव च । शकटं यः प्रदद्याद्वा सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्

Transliteration

aśvaṃ rathaṃ gajaṃ yānaṃ tulāpuruṣameva ca | śakaṭaṃ yaḥ pradadyādvā saptadhānyaprapūritam

Translation

Quiconque offre un cheval, un char, un éléphant, un véhicule, et même l’offrande du tulāpuruṣa—ou fait don d’un chariot rempli des sept sortes de grains—

Word by Word

• अश्वम्: a horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रथम्: a chariot
• रथम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गजम्: an elephant
• गजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यानम्: a vehicle
• यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तुलापुरुषम्: a tulāpuruṣa offering (weighing ceremony/person weighed)
• तुलापुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तुलायाः पुरुषः/तुलासम्बद्धः पुरुषः)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शकटम्: a cart/wagon
• शकटम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• प्रदद्याद्: should give
• प्रदद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; सकर्मक

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

• सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्: filled with seven kinds of grain
• सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र + पूरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘पूरित’; समासः—सप्तधान्येन प्रपूरितम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (best of kings) is being addressed in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor (often a king/wealthy householder) presents grand gifts: horse, chariot, elephant, palanquin/vehicle; a tulāpuruṣa scene with the donor weighed against gold; a cart brimming with seven grains offered to a learned recipient.

Characters & Entities

• Tulāpuruṣa
• Sapta-dhānya (seven grains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grand acts of dāna (charity)—especially in a sacred context—are celebrated as powerful supports of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa, tied to Revā-kṣetra (the Narmadā sacred region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of valuable conveyances (horse, chariot, elephant), tulāpuruṣa offering, or a cart filled with seven grains.