Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

सपत्नीकं गुरुं रक्तवाससी परिधापयेत् । अन्यांश्च ऋत्विजः शक्त्या गुरुं केयूरकङ्कणैः

Transliteration

sapatnīkaṃ guruṃ raktavāsasī paridhāpayet | anyāṃśca ṛtvijaḥ śaktyā guruṃ keyūrakaṅkaṇaiḥ

Translation

Hendaklah guru, bersama isterinya, dipakaikan busana merah. Dan menurut kemampuan, hendaklah memuliakan para ṛtvij yang lain; kepada guru dikurniakan kelat lengan dan gelang.

Word by Word

• सपत्नीकम्: together with (his) wife
• सपत्नीकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम् — bahuvrīhi ‘having (his) wife’ qualifying ‘गुरुं’

• गुरुम्: the teacher (guru)
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम् — accusative singular

• रक्तवाससी: two red garments
• रक्तवाससी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (द्विवचनान्त रूपम्), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचनम् — ‘red garments (two pieces)’; कर्मधारयः: रक्ते वाससी

• परिधापयेत्: should clothe (make wear)
• परिधापयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-धा (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त (causative) from √धा; विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् — ‘should cause to be worn/clothe’

• अन्यान्: others
• अन्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम् — accusative plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• ऋत्विजः: the priests
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम् — nominative plural

• शक्त्या: according to (one’s) capacity
• शक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम् — instrumental singular ‘according to ability/with power’

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम् — accusative singular

• केयूरकङ्कणैः: with armlets and bracelets
• केयूरकङ्कणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केयूर + कङ्कण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम् — dvandva ‘armlets and bracelets’ in instrumental plural

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narrative voice within Revākhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The donor respectfully presents red garments to the guru and his wife; other priests stand nearby receiving honors; the guru is adorned with keyūra (armlets) and kaṅkaṇa (bracelets).

Characters & Entities

• guru
• patnī (wife)
• ṛtvij (priests)
• keyūra
• kaṅkaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit is strengthened by honoring the guru and the officiants with dignity, gifts, and proportional generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This instruction belongs to the Revākhaṇḍa narrative that culminates in the praise of Śūleśvarī-tīrtha in the same chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dress the guru and his wife in red garments and give ornaments (armlets/bracelets), while also gifting other priests according to one’s means.