Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विषमैरग्रजातैश्च वेदाभ्यसनतत्परैः । गोहिरण्येन सम्पूज्य ताम्बूलैर्भोजनैस्तथा

Transliteration

viṣamairagrajātaiśca vedābhyasanatatparaiḥ | gohiraṇyena sampūjya tāmbūlairbhojanaistathā

Translation

Et l’on doit honorer de dignes brāhmanes—nés parmi les plus éminents, voués à l’étude des Veda—en les comblant de vénération par des dons de vaches et d’or, ainsi que de bétel et de nourriture.

Word by Word

• विषमैः: unequal/varied
• विषमैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• अग्रजातैः: with elders/foreborn (senior ones)
• अग्रजातैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रजात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (अग्रे जाताः)

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

• वेदाभ्यसनतत्परैः: with those devoted to Vedic study
• वेदाभ्यसनतत्परैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + अभ्यास + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (वेदाभ्यसने तत्पराः)

• गोहिरण्येन: with cows and gold
• गोहिरण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः

• सम्पूज्य: having duly honored
• सम्पूज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वक्रिया—‘सम्पूज्य’

• ताम्बूलैः: with betel (offerings)
• ताम्बूलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• भोजनैः: with food (meals)
• भोजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise’)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful gifting scene: learned brāhmaṇas seated with kuśa and scriptures; the patron offers a cow (symbolically), gold, betel leaves, and arranged food plates.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda
• Go-dāna
• Hiraṇya (gold)
• Tāmbūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit is strengthened by dāna and respect for Vedic learning—service to the learned is service to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The charitable observances are prescribed in the Karoḍī Tīrtha context of Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honor Veda-devoted brāhmaṇas with gifts (cows, gold), and offer betel and food.