Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

ग्रामधूर्वहदानेन गजकन्याहयेन च । विद्याशकटदानेन सर्वेषामभयं भवेत्

Transliteration

grāmadhūrvahadānena gajakanyāhayena ca | vidyāśakaṭadānena sarveṣāmabhayaṃ bhavet

Translation

ഗ്രാമദാനം, ഭാരവാഹക മൃഗദാനം, കൂടാതെ ഗജദാനം, ദാസികന്യാദാനം, ഹയദാനം—വിദ്യാദാനവും ശകടദാനവും ചെയ്താൽ—സകലർക്കും അഭയം ഉണ്ടാകും.

Word by Word

• ग्रामधूर्वहदानेन: by gifting a village-bull (draught bull)
• ग्रामधूर्वहदानेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + धूर्वह + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रामधूर्वहस्य दानम्)

• गजकन्याहयेन: by (gifting) an elephant, a maiden, and a horse
• गजकन्याहयेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + कन्या + हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गजः कन्या हयः) समाहारार्थे एकवचन-प्रयोगः

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

• विद्याशकटदानेन: by gifting a ‘vidyā-śakaṭa’ (cart for learning / cart of knowledge)
• विद्याशकटदानेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या + शकट + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विद्याशकटस्य दानम्)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (beings/people)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive Plural)

• अभयम्: fearlessness, safety
• अभयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• भवेत्: would arise / should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Ravitīrtha Māhātmya context; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand donation tableau: symbolic village grant, oxen carrying loads, an elephant and horse presented, a cart offered, and a teacher handing palm-leaf manuscripts—overseen by Surya’s radiance; recipients appear relieved and secure.

Characters & Entities

• Ravitīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generosity that supports livelihood, mobility, and learning becomes a source of collective security and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravitīrtha, within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of sacred merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of resources (villages, animals, vehicles) and support for learning (vidyā), said to generate fearlessness (abhaya).