Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

विधानोक्तद्विजाग्र्याय ये प्रदास्यन्ति भक्तितः । हयं वा कुंजरं वाथ धूर्वहौ सीरसंयुतौ

Transliteration

vidhānoktadvijāgryāya ye pradāsyanti bhaktitaḥ | hayaṃ vā kuṃjaraṃ vātha dhūrvahau sīrasaṃyutau

Translation

വിധിപ്രകാരം ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജനു (ബ്രാഹ്മണനു) ഭക്തിയോടെ ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ—കുതിരയായാലും, ആനയായാലും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ നങ്ങലോടുകൂടി കെട്ടിയ ജോഡി കാളകളായാലും—അവരുടെ ദാനം മഹാപുണ്യകരമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• विधानोक्तद्विजाग्र्याय: to the foremost Brahmin prescribed by rule
• विधानोक्तद्विजाग्र्याय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान + उक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु) + द्विज + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘विधाने उक्तः द्विजाग्र्यः’ (i.e., the foremost Brahmin prescribed in the injunctions) — dative ‘to/for’

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• प्रदास्यन्ति: will give
• प्रदास्यन्ति: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भक्तितः: from devotion
• भक्तितः: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’ — ‘out of devotion’

• हयम्: a horse
• हयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• कुञ्जरम्: an elephant
• कुञ्जरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: सम्बन्ध (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक

• अथ: then / and
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/समुच्चयार्थक (then/and)

• धूर्वहौ: two yoke-bearers (a pair of draft animals)
• धूर्वहौ: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर् + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘धूर् वहतः’ — ‘yoke-bearers’ (pair)

• सीरसंयुतौ: yoked with a plough
• सीरसंयुतौ: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सीर + संयुत (कृदन्त; √युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सीरेण संयुतौ’ — ‘yoked with a plough’ (qualifying धूर्वहौ)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator within Revā-khaṇḍa addressing Yudhiṣṭhira.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Vidhānokta-dāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor at a riverside maṭha offers a horse and an elephant in procession; nearby, a pair of plough-oxen with a plough is presented to a venerable brāhmaṇa, with ritual water-pot and fire present.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)
• Horse
• Elephant
• Plough-oxen (dhūrvaha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna becomes especially potent when offered with devotion and in accordance with scriptural injunction to worthy recipients.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā region) but focuses on dāna-vidhi rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give, as per injunction, valuable gifts (horse/elephant/plough-oxen with plough) to a foremost brāhmaṇa.