Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अनुव्रजेत गच्छन्तं सर्वं तस्य गृहं नयेत् । एवं कृते महीपाल सरित्स्यात्सुखवाहिनी

Transliteration

anuvrajeta gacchantaṃ sarvaṃ tasya gṛhaṃ nayet | evaṃ kṛte mahīpāla saritsyātsukhavāhinī

Translation

പോകുന്നവനെ അനുഗമിച്ച് പോകുകയും, ദാനദ്രവ്യങ്ങളൊക്കെയും അവന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിലേക്ക് എത്തിക്കുകയും വേണം. ഇങ്ങനെ ചെയ്താൽ, ഹേ രാജാവേ, ആ നദി സുഖവാഹിനിയാകും.

Word by Word

• अनुव्रजेत: should follow
• अनुव्रजेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु√व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular

• गच्छन्तम्: the one who is going
• गच्छन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + गच्छत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• गृहम्: house
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• नयेत्: should lead/take
• नयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण — Adverb of manner

• कृते: when (this is) done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन — Locative singular; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘कृते’ = “when done”

• महीपाल: O king (protector of earth)
• महीपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन — Vocative singular; तत्पुरुष (महीम् पालयति)

• सरित्: the river
• सरित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 3rd person singular

• सुखवाहिनी: bringing happiness/pleasant-flowing
• सुखवाहिनी: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष (सुखं वहति)

Speaker

Narratorial/ritual-instruction voice addressing a king (mahīpāla)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) framed through Vaitaraṇī-crossing symbolism

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor respectfully walking behind the recipient leading the cow and gift-articles toward the recipient’s home; the river in the background appears calm and bright, symbolizing easy passage.

Characters & Entities

• Mahīpāla (king)
• Vaitaraṇī (implied river-crossing motif)
• Brāhmaṇa (implied recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Completing charity with proper follow-through and respect perfects the merit and transforms peril into ease.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting remains the broader sacred-geography frame; this verse emphasizes the ‘river-crossing’ merit motif.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Accompany the recipient and ensure the donated items reach his home; the rite is considered complete by this respectful conduct.