Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यत्किंचिद्दीयते भक्त्या स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु । तत्सर्वं शतसाहस्रमाज्ञया गौतमस्य हि

Transliteration

yatkiṃciddīyate bhaktyā svalpaṃ vā yadi vā bahu | tatsarvaṃ śatasāhasramājñayā gautamasya hi

Translation

Tout ce qui est donné avec dévotion—peu ou beaucoup—se trouve multiplié au cent-mille, selon l’ordonnance de Gautama.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun; nominative/accusative sg.)

• kiṃcit: anything, something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• dīyate: is given
• dīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (भक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental)

• svalpam: little
• svalpam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (स्वल्प प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kiṃcit)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• bahu: much, a lot
• bahu: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (बहु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying kiṃcit)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

• sarvam: all, entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tat)

• śata-sāhasram: a hundred thousand (fold/value)
• śata-sāhasram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (शत) + sāhasra (साहस्र) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-समास (karmadhāraya: 'hundred-thousand' = 100,000)

• ājñayā: by the command
• ājñayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (आज्ञा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental)

• gautamasya: of Gautama
• gautamasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (गौतम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana/Pārtha (Arjuna) (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on the Narmadā bank offers a small gift with folded hands; a sage (Gautama) signifies sanction; the gift’s merit is shown as radiating into countless luminous multiples.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama (ṛṣi)
• Gautameśvara
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The inner intention (bhakti) sanctifies giving; even small offerings become spiritually immense when aligned with a tīrtha’s sacred authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gautameśvara tīrtha associated with Gautama ṛṣi on the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) performed with devotion is recommended, emphasizing intention over quantity.