Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वस्त्रयुग्मं प्रदातव्यं लोहितं पाण्डुनन्दन । धूर्वहौ रक्तवर्णौ च शुभ्रं कृष्णं तथैव च

Transliteration

vastrayugmaṃ pradātavyaṃ lohitaṃ pāṇḍunandana | dhūrvahau raktavarṇau ca śubhraṃ kṛṣṇaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

Wahai putera Pāṇḍu, hendaklah diberikan sepasang pakaian—berwarna merah. Demikian juga pakaian bernuansa kemerahan, serta yang putih dan hitam, juga layak didermakan.

Word by Word

• वस्त्रयुग्मम्: a pair of garments
• वस्त्रयुग्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र + युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वस्त्रयोः युग्मम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Kriya (विधेय/कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (Gerundive/Future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be given/should be given’

• लोहितम्: red
• लोहितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पाण्डोः नन्दनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• धूर्वहौ: two draught-bearers (yoked pair)
• धूर्वहौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूर् + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual); समासः—धूरं वहतः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• रक्तवर्णौ: two of red color
• रक्तवर्णौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—रक्तः वर्णः यस्य (कर्मधारय)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शुभ्रम्: white
• शुभ्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृष्णम्: black
• कृष्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (restrictive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a Pāṇḍava (listener implied by vocative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Māṅgaleśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana (addressed explicitly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor presents folded pairs of garments—predominantly red, with additional white and black cloth—before brāhmaṇas at the Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha, with the river and shrine nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍunandana
• Vastra-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes disciplined giving; even the details of gifts (like garments and colors) are integrated into vow-observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Māṅgaleśvara tīrtha in Revā-khaṇḍa; this verse focuses on dāna items rather than the geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donation of a pair of garments, especially red, and also garments of white and black (as prescribed within the vrata).