Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

पूजनीयौ प्रयत्नेन वस्त्रैश्च द्विजदंपती । कर्तव्यं च ततो भूरिदक्षिणादानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

pūjanīyau prayatnena vastraiśca dvijadaṃpatī | kartavyaṃ ca tato bhūridakṣiṇādānamuttamam

Translation

ब्राह्मण दम्पति का यत्नपूर्वक, वस्त्र आदि से, सम्मान करना चाहिए। इसके बाद उत्तम और प्रचुर दक्षिणा-दान करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• पूजनीयौ: worthy of worship
• पूजनीयौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūj (धातु) → pūjanīya (कृदन्त)
• Form: अनीयर्/नीयत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘worthy to be worshipped’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्विजदंपती इत्यस्य विशेषण

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• वस्त्रैः: with garments
• वस्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• द्विजदंपती: the Brahmin couple (husband and wife)
• द्विजदंपती: Kartṛ (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + dampatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजयोः दंपती); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Predicate obligation/विधेय-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(दानम्) कर्तव्यम्’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रमवाचक adverb)

• भूरि: abundant, much
• भूरि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūri (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् परिमाणवाचक विशेषण (indeclinable-like): ‘बहु/अत्यधिक’

• दक्षिणादानम्: gift of fees/donations
• दक्षिणादानम्: Kartṛ (Subject—thing to be done/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दक्षिणायाः दानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दक्षिणादानम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa couple seated on a clean āsana receives folded garments and a dakṣiṇā offering from a devotee; attendants hold trays with cloth, coins, and flowers; a temple doorway frames the act.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija-daṃpatī (brāhmaṇa couple)
• Dakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual culminates in service: honoring dharma-bearers and giving generously seals the merit of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the māhātmya context in which these concluding acts of charity are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honor a brāhmaṇa couple with garments and then give excellent, plentiful dakṣiṇā.