Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आयसस्य खुराः कार्यास्ताम्रपृष्ठाः सुभूषिताः । लवणाचलं पूर्वस्यामाग्नेय्यां गुडपर्वतम्

Transliteration

āyasasya khurāḥ kāryāstāmrapṛṣṭhāḥ subhūṣitāḥ | lavaṇācalaṃ pūrvasyāmāgneyyāṃ guḍaparvatam

Translation

அவளின் குளம்புகள் இரும்பால் செய்யப்பட வேண்டும்; முதுகு செம்பால் பதிக்கப்பட்டு நன்கு அலங்கரிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். கிழக்கில் ‘உப்புமலை’யும், தென்கிழக்கில் ‘வெல்லமலை’யும் அமைக்க வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• आयसस्य: of iron
• आयसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खुराः: hooves
• खुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कार्याः: should be made
• कार्याः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय) → कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) विधेय-विशेषण

• ताम्रपृष्ठाः: having copper backs/plates
• ताम्रपृष्ठाः: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (ताम्रं पृष्ठं येषाम्)

• सुभूषिताः: well-adorned
• सुभूषिताः: Karta (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + भूषित (प्रातिपदिक; √भूष्-क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; उपसर्ग-युक्त

• लवणाचलम्: the salt-mountain
• लवणाचलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (लवणः अचलः)

• पूर्वस्याम्: in the east
• पूर्वस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि (in the eastern direction)

• आग्नेय्याम्: in the southeast
• आग्नेय्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशि (in the southeast)

• गुडपर्वतम्: the jaggery-mountain
• गुडपर्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुड + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (गुडः पर्वतः)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator detailing the prescribed setup for mahiṣī-dāna.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A buffalo-cow prepared for donation: iron hooves, copper-plated back, ornaments; to the east a conical ‘salt mountain’, to the southeast a ‘jaggery mountain’, arranged on ritual ground with directional markers.

Characters & Entities

• Iron (āyasa)
• Copper (tāmra)
• Salt (lavaṇa)
• Jaggery (guḍa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic rites encode cosmic order through directionality and symbolic materials, turning charity into a consecrated, world-supporting act.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to Revā-khaṇḍa’s ritual instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare the buffalo-cow with iron hooves and copper-plated, decorated back; place salt in the east and jaggery in the southeast as directional offerings.