Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा वस्त्रादिकं वापि प्रवर्तयति मानवः । सोऽश्वमेधादियज्ञानां फलमाप्तो त्यनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

dattvā vastrādikaṃ vāpi pravartayati mānavaḥ | so'śvamedhādiyajñānāṃ phalamāpto tyanuttamam

Translation

വസ്ത്രാദികൾ ദാനം ചെയ്ത് (മറ്റൊരാളുടെ) സേതു-യാത്ര നടത്തിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ അശ്വമേധാദി യജ്ഞങ്ങളുടെ അനുത്തമ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दा (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/त्वा-प्रत्यय, gerund); ‘having given’

• वस्त्रादिकम्: clothes and the like
• वस्त्रादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-समास: ‘वस्त्रं आदिः यस्य तत्’ = ‘clothes etc.’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• प्रवर्तयति: causes (it) to proceed, promotes
• प्रवर्तयति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present indicative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘causes to proceed/sets in motion’)

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अश्वमेधादियज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधादियज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आदि-समास: ‘अश्वमेधः आदिः येषां ते’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आप्तः: having obtained
• आप्तः: Karta (Predicate/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having obtained’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, supreme
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A benefactor hands folded garments and travel items to a pilgrim setting out toward the sea-coast Setu; above, symbolic sacrificial fire motifs subtly echo the Aśvamedha comparison.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha)
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Supporting another’s holy journey is itself a high sacrifice, yielding merit comparable to grand Vedic rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvaram), whose pilgrimage support is praised as supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of practical items (like clothing) to facilitate the Setu pilgrimage.