Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विप्रान् बहून् समाहूय पूजयामास तत्क्षणात् । दत्त्वा तु विधिवद्दानं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नृपात्मज

Transliteration

viprān bahūn samāhūya pūjayāmāsa tatkṣaṇāt | dattvā tu vidhivaddānaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo nṛpātmaja

Translation

Ayant aussitôt convoqué de nombreux brāhmaṇas, l’enfant du roi les honora sur-le-champ ; puis, après avoir accompli selon la règle le dāna, elle fit des dons aux brāhmaṇas, ô fils de roi.

Word by Word

• विप्रान्: Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• समाहूय: having called together
• समाहूय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभाव; 'having summoned'

• पूजयामास: worshipped, honored
• पूजयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect/आम-प्रयोग), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्क्षणात्: immediately
• तत्क्षणात्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); समासः तत्पुरुष (तत्-क्षण)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभाव; 'having given'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध (particle: but/indeed)

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Prakara (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• नृपात्मज: O prince (king's son)
• नृपात्मज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक); आत्मज = आत्मन् + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपस्य आत्मजः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed Kuṇḍa (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhānumatī gathers many brāhmaṇas near the kuṇḍa, offers respectful pūjā and distributes gifts in an orderly ritual setting.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• nṛpātmaja (royal offspring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before undertaking a grave vow or sacred act, one should purify intention through brāhmaṇa-pūjā and vidhivat dāna—charity done with proper respect and rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Revā Khaṇḍa setting (Narmadā sacred geography), where tīrtha-oriented vows are framed through dharmic preliminaries like dāna and honoring the learned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat dāna—giving gifts in the prescribed manner to brāhmaṇas, along with their immediate honoring (pūjā).