Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शक्तितो ब्राह्मणान्पूज्य स्वर्णवस्त्रान्नदानतः । क्षमापयित्वा तान्विप्रांस्तथा देवं खगध्वजम्

Transliteration

śaktito brāhmaṇānpūjya svarṇavastrānnadānataḥ | kṣamāpayitvā tānviprāṃstathā devaṃ khagadhvajam

Translation

ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ പൂജിച്ച് സ്വർണം, വസ്ത്രം, അന്നം എന്നിവ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. ആ വിപ്രന്മാരോട് ക്ഷമ ചോദിച്ച് ഖഗധ്വജനായ ദേവനെ (ഗരുഡധ്വജ വിഷ്ണുവിനെ)യും പ്രസാദിപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• शक्तितः: according to (one’s) capacity
• शक्तितः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'according to ability')

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म (पूज्य)

• पूज्य: having worshipped / should worship
• पूज्य: Kriya (Instructional/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन (implicit agent 'one'); अर्थ: 'to be worshipped' → here as absolutive sense 'having worshipped' in instruction style

• स्वर्णवस्त्रान्नदानतः: by giving gold, clothes, and food
• स्वर्णवस्त्रान्नदानतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/Instrumental sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः समास-समुच्चय (स्वर्ण-वस्त्र-अन्न-दान); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'by/through giving ...')

• क्षमापयित्वा: having asked (them) to forgive / having sought pardon
• क्षमापयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: णिजन्त-धातु (causative) + क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकर्म

• तान्: those (Brahmins)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म (क्षमापयित्वा)

• विप्रान्: learned Brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्ध/अनुवृत्ति (तान्)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• देवम्: the Lord (God)
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (पूज्य/पूजयेत् implied)

• खगध्वजम्: (Viṣṇu) whose banner is the bird (Garuḍa)
• खगध्वजम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (खगः ध्वजः यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; देवम्-विशेषण (Viṣṇu: Garuḍa-bannered)

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial voice within Revākhaṇḍa; likely addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank, brāhmaṇas are seated on kusa mats; the patron offers cloth, gold, and food with reverence, then bows with folded hands asking forgiveness; above, Viṣṇu as Khagadhvaja is envisioned/blessed.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (vipra)
• Khagadhvaja (Viṣṇu with Garuḍa-banner)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility and generosity—honoring the learned and seeking pardon—are integral to successful pilgrimage and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā Śālagrāma tīrtha context where dāna and worship are prescribed for heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā with dāna (gold/cloth/food), asking forgiveness, and worship of Garuḍa-bannered Viṣṇu.