Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

सयोक्त्रं लाङ्गलं दद्याद्युवानौ तु धुरंधरौ । गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि पात्रे दातव्यमर्चितम्

Transliteration

sayoktraṃ lāṅgalaṃ dadyādyuvānau tu dhuraṃdharau | gobhūtilahiraṇyādi pātre dātavyamarcitam

Translation

നുകത്തോടുകൂടിയ കലപ്പ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം; കൂടാതെ രണ്ട് യുവ, ശക്തിയുള്ള ജോതിമൃഗങ്ങളെയും. അതോടൊപ്പം പശു, ധാന്യ-ഉത്പന്നം, സ്വർണ്ണാദികളും—യോഗ്യപാത്രനെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആദരിച്ചു—ദാനം ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്.

Word by Word

• सयोक्त्रम्: (a plough) with yoke/with harness
• सयोक्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + योक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सहार्थ-तत्पुरुषः (योक्त्रेण सह/सहितं)

• लाङ्गलम्: a plough
• लाङ्गलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्याद्: should give
• दद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• युवानौ: two young (bulls/animals)
• युवानौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• धुरंधरौ: strong, able to bear the yoke
• धुरंधरौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुरंधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (युवानौ इति विशेष्यस्य)

• गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि: cows, land, gold, etc. (as a set of gifts)
• गोभूतिलहिरण्यादि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (गो-भूमि-हिरण्य-आदि-समाहारः)

• पात्रे: to a worthy recipient (in a fit vessel/person)
• पात्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दातव्यम्: is to be given/should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• अर्चितम्: honoured/worshipped (after due honour)
• अर्चितम्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; दातव्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (implied by ‘rājendra’ in the immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra addressed in the surrounding discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual gifting scene in a village-edge or temple courtyard: a plough with yoke, two sturdy young oxen/bullocks, cows, sacks of grain, and a small casket of gold presented to an honored brāhmaṇa/recipient seated on a mat with ritual vessels.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• brāhmaṇa (worthy recipient)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes most fruitful when it supports dharma and livelihood and is offered with reverence to a worthy recipient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa, connected to the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prescribes dāna: gifting plough and yoke, strong young draft-animals, and offerings like cows/produce/gold to a qualified recipient, with honor (arcana).