Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कुण्डिकां वर्धनीं वापि महद्वा जलभाजनम् । अन्नेन सहितं पार्थ तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

kuṇḍikāṃ vardhanīṃ vāpi mahadvā jalabhājanam | annena sahitaṃ pārtha tasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

Qu’il s’agisse d’une petite cruche, d’un vase plus grand ou même d’un vaste récipient d’eau, offert avec de la nourriture, ô Pārtha, écoute le fruit sacré de ce don.

Word by Word

• कुण्डिकाम्: a water-pot (small vessel)
• कुण्डिकाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• वर्धनीम्: a large pot/cauldron (vardhanī)
• वर्धनीम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्धनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थ निपात) — disjunctive particle

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ) — particle ‘also/even’

• महत्: large
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण (जलभाजनम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थ निपात) — disjunctive particle

• जलभाजनम्: a water-container
• जलभाजनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जलस्य भाजनम्)

• अन्नेन: with food
• अन्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• सहितम्: accompanied (together)
• सहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; भूतकृदन्त (सह+इ/सह धात्वर्थे) ‘accompanied’; विशेषण (जलभाजनम्/महत् इत्यादि)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular

• तस्य: of that (gift)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular (of that/its)

• पुण्यफलम्: the meritorious fruit (result)
• पुण्यफलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; समासः कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं फलम् / पुण्यस्य फलम्)

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd person singular; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers a water-pot and a bundle of food to a pilgrim/ascetic near a riverbank; the recipient blesses the donor; vessels of varying sizes are displayed to show inclusivity.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna (water vessel and food)
• Pārtha (vocative address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity that sustains life—water and food—is elevated as a powerful dharmic act with significant spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is framed within the Varuṇeśvara tīrtha narrative of Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of a water vessel (of any size) together with food; the text proceeds to describe its puṇya.