Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

सयोक्त्रं लाङ्गलं दद्याद्युवानौ तु धुरंधरौ । गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि पात्रे दातव्यमर्चितम्

Transliteration

sayoktraṃ lāṅgalaṃ dadyādyuvānau tu dhuraṃdharau | gobhūtilahiraṇyādi pātre dātavyamarcitam

Translation

Qu’on donne la charrue avec son joug, ainsi qu’une paire de jeunes et puissants animaux de trait. De plus, vaches, grains et récoltes, or et autres biens doivent être offerts—après avoir honoré comme il se doit le récipiendaire digne.

Word by Word

• सयोक्त्रम्: (a plough) with yoke/with harness
• सयोक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + योक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सहार्थ-तत्पुरुषः (योक्त्रेण सह/सहितं)

• लाङ्गलम्: a plough
• लाङ्गलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• युवानौ: two young (bulls/animals)
• युवानौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• धुरंधरौ: strong, able to bear the yoke
• धुरंधरौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुरंधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (युवानौ इति विशेष्यस्य)

• गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि: cows, land, gold, etc. (as a set of gifts)
• गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (गो-भूमि-हिरण्य-आदि-समाहारः)

• पात्रे: to a worthy recipient (in a fit vessel/person)
• पात्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दातव्यम्: is to be given/should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• अर्चितम्: honoured/worshipped (after due honour)
• अर्चितम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; दातव्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (implied by ‘rājendra’ in the immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra addressed in the surrounding discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual gifting scene in a village-edge or temple courtyard: a plough with yoke, two sturdy young oxen/bullocks, cows, sacks of grain, and a small casket of gold presented to an honored brāhmaṇa/recipient seated on a mat with ritual vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• brāhmaṇa (worthy recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes most fruitful when it supports dharma and livelihood and is offered with reverence to a worthy recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa, connected to the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prescribes dāna: gifting plough and yoke, strong young draft-animals, and offerings like cows/produce/gold to a qualified recipient, with honor (arcana).