Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

छत्रं शय्यां शुभां चैव रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनम् । दातव्यं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ विशुद्धेनान्तरात्मना

Transliteration

chatraṃ śayyāṃ śubhāṃ caiva raktamālyānulepanam | dātavyaṃ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha viśuddhenāntarātmanā

Translation

Qu’on offre un parasol, une couche excellente, ainsi que des guirlandes rouges et des onguents ; ô meilleur des Pāṇḍava, que cela soit fait avec un cœur intérieurement purifié.

Word by Word

• छत्रम्: umbrella
• छत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• शय्याम्: bed
• शय्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• शुभाम्: auspicious, good
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Accusative, Singular; adjective qualifying शय्याम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनम्: red garlands and unguent (anointing paste)
• रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + माल्य + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषसमासः (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; compound meaning 'red-garland and unguent/anointing')

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘देयम्/कर्तव्यम्’ (Gerundive; ‘to be given’, predicative)

• पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• विशुद्धेन: with purified
• विशुद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Instrumental Singular; adjective)

• अन्तरात्मना: with the inner self (heart)
• अन्तरात्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अन्तरः आत्मा’ इति कर्मधारयः (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a Pāṇḍava (listener implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as ‘Pāṇḍava-śreṣṭha’ in the received verse-form; broader frame likely royal interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor at a riverbank tīrtha offers a parasol, a well-made bed, red garlands, and fragrant unguents to a worthy recipient; the river glows as a purifier, emphasizing inner purity.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha
• Chatra-dāna
• Śayyā-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Gifts gain true merit when offered with inner purity; intention is central to Purāṇic dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescriptions belong to the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha context in Revā-khaṇḍa, though the verse itself lists charitable items.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give chatra (parasol), śayyā (bed), and red garlands/unguents, ensuring inner purity while performing the donation.