Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

त्वरितं तु जयं गत्वा पूर्वकं विधिमाचरेत् । अश्वं दद्याद्द्विजाग्र्याय जयपूर्वाभिनिर्गतम्

Transliteration

tvaritaṃ tu jayaṃ gatvā pūrvakaṃ vidhimācaret | aśvaṃ dadyāddvijāgryāya jayapūrvābhinirgatam

Translation

വേഗത്തിൽ ‘ജയ’യിൽ എത്തി മുൻപറഞ്ഞ വിധി ആചരിക്കണം. ‘ജയ’ പ്രദേശത്തിൽ നിന്നു വന്ന കുതിരയെ ഒരു ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണന് ദാനം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• त्वरितम्: quickly
• त्वरितम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वरित (कृदन्त, √त्वर्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative/indeclinable usage); अर्थः: शीघ्रम्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (contrast/emphasis)

• जयम्: to Jaya
• जयम्: Karman (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• पूर्वकम्: preceding/initial
• पूर्वकम्: Karman (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (विधिम्)

• विधिम्: the rite/procedure
• विधिम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातु: चर्; उपसर्ग: आ

• अश्वम्: a horse
• अश्वम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; धातु: दा (दान)

• द्विजाग्र्याय: to the foremost Brahmin
• द्विजाग्र्याय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), एकवचनम्; समासः: तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् अग्र्यः)

• जय-पूर्व-अभिनिर्गतम्: that has come out from the eastern side of Jaya
• जय-पूर्व-अभिनिर्गतम्: Karman (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिनिर्गत (कृदन्त, अभि+निर्+√गम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (अश्वम्); समासः: तत्पुरुषः (जयपूर्वात् अभिनिर्गतम् = having come out from the eastern side of Jaya/with Jaya as reference)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Revākhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Jaya station, a pilgrim presents a decorated horse with a cloth and garland to a venerable brāhmaṇa seated on a kusa mat, while priests recite blessings.

Characters & Entities

• Jaya (tīrtha/place)
• Dvijāgrya (eminent brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage includes generosity—offering valuable gifts in the proper place and to the proper recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaya, presented as a significant stop in the Revā-kṣetra tīrtha circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repeat the earlier rite at Jaya and perform aśva-dāna to a distinguished brāhmaṇa.