Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

ये प्रयच्छन्ति कृतिनो ग्रस्ते सूर्ये निशाकरे । तेषां संख्यां न जानामि पुण्यस्याब्दशातैरपि

Transliteration

ye prayacchanti kṛtino graste sūrye niśākare | teṣāṃ saṃkhyāṃ na jānāmi puṇyasyābdaśātairapi

Translation

సూర్యుడు గాని చంద్రుడు గాని గ్రహణగ్రస్తుడైన వేళ దానం చేయు కృతార్థ పుణ్యవంతుల పుణ్యపరిమాణాన్ని నేను వందల సంవత్సరాలైనా లెక్కించలేను.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• prayacchanti: give/offer
• prayacchanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• kṛtinaḥ: meritorious people
• kṛtinaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• graste: when eclipsed/being seized
• graste: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gras (धातु) → grasta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• sūrye: when the sun
• sūrye: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• niśākare: (and) the moon
• niśākare: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃkhyām: the number
• saṃkhyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• jānāmi: I know
• jānāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• puṇyasya: of merit
• puṇyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• abda-śataiḥ: by hundreds of years
• abda-śataiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abda (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अब्दानां शतानि)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (particle: 'even')

Speaker

Narrator addressing the King (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Grahaṇa-parva at Revā (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic eclipse over a sacred river: the sun partially obscured, twilight hue. Devotees stand in disciplined rows offering gifts to brāhmaṇas; lamps flicker; the atmosphere is charged and hushed, as if time pauses.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Sun)
• Niśākara/Candra (Moon)
• grahaṇa (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred timing amplifies charity; eclipse-time giving is praised as immeasurably meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context; the verse emphasizes the power of grahaṇa-kāla rather than a single location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna during a solar or lunar eclipse for extraordinary spiritual merit.