Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तेनैव दत्ता पृथिवी सशैलवनकानना । सपत्तनपुरा सर्वा काञ्चनं यः प्रयच्छति

Transliteration

tenaiva dattā pṛthivī saśailavanakānanā | sapattanapurā sarvā kāñcanaṃ yaḥ prayacchati

Translation

കാഞ്ചനം (സ്വർണം) ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, ആ ദാനത്താൽ തന്നെ പർവതങ്ങളും വനങ്ങളും കാനനങ്ങളും ഉൾപ്പെടെ, എല്ലാ പട്ടണ-പുരങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയെയും ദാനം ചെയ്തതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• दत्ता: given (donated)
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पृथिवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (given)

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सशैलवनकानना: together with mountains, forests, and groves
• सशैलवनकानना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शैल + वन + कानन (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: स(सह) + शैल + वन + कानन)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पृथिवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘स’ उपसर्गवत् अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः (with) + तत्पुरुष-समाहार (with mountains, forests, groves)

• सपत्तनपुरा: with ports/towns and cities
• सपत्तनपुरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्तन + पुर (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: स(सह) + पत्तन + पुर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पृथिवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; ‘स’ (with) + (towns and cities)

• सर्वा: entire, whole
• सर्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘पृथिवी’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarṇabindu (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary scene: a donor offers a piece of gold, while behind him the whole earth—mountains, forests, cities—appears as if being offered in miniature to the brāhmaṇa; cosmic scale implied.

Characters & Entities

• Earth (pṛthivī)
• Mountains (śaila)
• Forests (vana)
• Cities (pura)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single noble gift, when made with dharmic intent, can be spiritually equivalent to the greatest of donations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha setting is implied; the verse magnifies the merit of gold-dāna performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act prescribed is kāñcana-dāna (gifting gold), praised as supremely meritorious.