Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्देशे तु यन्मानं विषये वा विचारितम् । तेन मानेन तां कुर्वन्नक्षयं फलमश्नुते

Transliteration

yasmindeśe tu yanmānaṃ viṣaye vā vicāritam | tena mānena tāṃ kurvannakṣayaṃ phalamaśnute

Translation

ഏത് ദേശത്തോ പ്രദേശത്തോ ഏത് അളവുകോൽ അംഗീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ, അതേ അളവുപ്രകാരം ദാനം നടത്തണം. അങ്ങനെ ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ അക്ഷയ പുണ്യഫലം അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• yasmin: in which
• yasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (in which)

• deśe: in a region
• deśe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• yat: whatever
• yat: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (whatever/which)

• mānam: measure, standard
• mānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘measure/standard’

• viṣaye: in the locality/domain
• viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• vicāritam: determined, considered
• vicāritam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√car (चर्) (कृत्: क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (has been determined/considered)

• tena: by that
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• mānena: by the measure
• mānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• tām: that (offering/act)
• tām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• kurvan: doing, performing
• kurvan: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (कृत्: शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (doing)

• akṣayam: imperishable
• akṣayam: Visheshaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; फलम् इति विशेषण

• phalam: fruit, result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• aśnute: attains, enjoys
• aśnute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (अश्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Textual narrator giving adaptable dāna guidelines (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general rule)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor consults local elders/priests beside a river; different measuring vessels are displayed, symbolizing regional standards; the act of donation proceeds harmoniously, signifying ‘akṣaya phala’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through sincerity and correctness; charity aligned with accepted local standards yields lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; it is a general dharma principle within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use the locally recognized measurements/standards when specifying and giving ritual donations.