Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

शबर्युवाच । श्रीफलानि सपुष्पाणि दास्यामि च विशेषतः । न लोभो न स्पृहा मेऽस्ति गत्वा राज्ञीं निवेदय

Transliteration

śabaryuvāca | śrīphalāni sapuṣpāṇi dāsyāmi ca viśeṣataḥ | na lobho na spṛhā me'sti gatvā rājñīṃ nivedaya

Translation

ശബരി പറഞ്ഞു—പുഷ്പങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ശ്രീഫലങ്ങൾ (തേങ്ങ) പ്രത്യേകമായി ധാരാളം ഞാൻ നൽകാം. എനിക്ക് ലോഭവും മോഹവും ഇല്ല; പോയി രാജ്ഞിയോട് അറിയിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• śabarī: Śabarī (the woman Śabarī)
• śabarī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said/spoke
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śrīphalāni: śrī-fruits (coconuts)
• śrīphalāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrīphala (प्रातिपदिक; śrī + phala)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• sapuṣpāṇi: with flowers
• sapuṣpāṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद 'sa-' = 'with'

• dāsyāmi: I will give
• dāsyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially/in particular
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb in -tas)

• na: not/no
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• lobhaḥ: greed
• lobhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not/no
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• spṛhā: desire/longing
• spṛhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: spṛhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: of me/my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya (Auxiliary action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), 'having gone'

• rājñīm: the queen
• rājñīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājñī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• nivedaya: inform/announce (to her)
• nivedaya: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + vid (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śabarī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-dwelling Śabarī woman, calm and sincere, holds coconuts and fresh flowers, speaking without desire for payment; a messenger departs toward the queen’s palace.

Characters & Entities

• Śabarī
• Rājñī (queen)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True charity is free from greed and expectation; giving becomes worship when it is desireless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse highlights dharma (dāna and purity of motive) within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of pūjā-items—śrīphala and flowers—offered without greed.