Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 196

Devanagari script

मधुरं च ततोऽश्नीयाद्देव्या भुवन उत्तमे । फलदानं च विप्राय छत्रं ताम्बूलमेव च

Transliteration

madhuraṃ ca tato'śnīyāddevyā bhuvana uttame | phaladānaṃ ca viprāya chatraṃ tāmbūlameva ca

Translation

Kemudian di alam mulia Sang Dewi, hendaklah ia menjamah sesuatu yang manis. Dan hendaklah ia berdāna buah-buahan kepada seorang brāhmaṇa, serta mempersembahkan payung dan tāmbūla (sirih-pinang) juga.

Word by Word

• madhuram: something sweet
• madhuram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (accusative singular); कर्मरूपेण (object of eating)

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

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक अव्यय (adverb: then/thereafter)

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘he/one should eat’

• devyāḥ: of the Goddess
• devyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• bhuvane: in the world/place
• bhuvane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative singular)

• uttame: excellent, best
• uttame: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying bhuvane)

• phala-dānam: gift of fruit
• phala-dānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘फलस्य दानम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• viprāya: to a Brahmin
• viprāya: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन (dative singular)

• chatram: umbrella
• chatram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tāmbūlam: betel (leaf/chew)
• tāmbūlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmbūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Eraṇḍī-saṅgama / Devī-bhuvana-uttama (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a Devī-sanctified riverside precinct, the pilgrim receives/consumes sweet prasāda; nearby he respectfully offers fruits, an umbrella, and betel to a brāhmaṇa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual completion is sealed by auspicious intake and charitable giving, aligning worship with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context, described as connected to the Goddess’s excellent sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Eating sweet food after the rite and giving fruits, an umbrella, and betel to a brāhmaṇa.