Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव रत्नानां काञ्चनं रत्नमुत्तमम् । अग्नितेजःसमुद्भूतं तेन तत्परमं भुवि

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva ratnānāṃ kāñcanaṃ ratnamuttamam | agnitejaḥsamudbhūtaṃ tena tatparamaṃ bhuvi

Translation

എല്ലാ രത്നങ്ങളിലും കാഞ്ചനം (സ്വർണം) തന്നെയാണ് ഉത്തമ രത്നം. അത് അഗ്നിയുടെ തേജസ്സിൽ നിന്നു ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചതിനാൽ ഭൂമിയിൽ അത് പരമമായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• रत्नानाम्: of gems
• रत्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• रत्नम्: a gem
• रत्नम्: Pratijna/Predicate (Vidheyabhava)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• उत्तमम्: the best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘रत्नम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अग्नितेजःसमुद्भूतम्: arisen from the fire’s brilliance
• अग्नितेजःसमुद्भूतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + तेजस् + सम् + उद् + भू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘समुद्भूत’; पूर्वपद-समासः (अग्नितेजः = अग्नेः तेजः) तत्पुरुष, ततः ‘अग्नितेजः’ + ‘समुद्भूत’ इति समासः

• तेन: therefore, by that
• तेन: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anaphora (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘काञ्चनम्’ प्रति निर्देशः

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तत्/काञ्चनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भुवि: on earth, in the world
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: gold emerging from a stylized fire-flame, radiating purity; Mārkaṇḍeya explains to the king with a gesture toward the flame and a gold ornament.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (fire)
• Gold (kāñcana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The worth of a gift is also measured by its purity and excellence; gold is upheld as a supreme charitable offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the tīrtha-context of Revā-khaṇḍa by explaining why gold-dāna at such a place is especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is added here; it provides the theological rationale for offering gold as dāna.