Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यतिहस्ते जलं दद्याद्भिक्षां दत्त्वा पुनर्जलम् । सा भिक्षा मेरुणा तुल्या तज्जलं सागरोपमम्

Transliteration

yatihaste jalaṃ dadyādbhikṣāṃ dattvā punarjalam | sā bhikṣā meruṇā tulyā tajjalaṃ sāgaropamam

Translation

พึงวางน้ำลงในฝ่ามือของยติ; ครั้นถวายภิกษาแล้วพึงถวายน้ำอีกครั้ง ทานภิกษานั้นกล่าวว่าเสมอด้วยเขาพระสุเมรุ และน้ำนั้นเปรียบดังมหาสมุทร

Word by Word

• यतिहस्ते: in the ascetic’s hand
• यतिहस्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यतेः हस्ते)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• भिक्षाम्: alms
• भिक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having given)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (again)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• भिक्षा: alms
• भिक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मेरुणा: with/like Meru (mountain)
• मेरुणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तुल्या: equal to
• तुल्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपमान-विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सागर-उपमम्: comparable to the ocean
• सागर-उपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सागरेण उपमम् = comparable to the ocean)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Mārkaṇḍeya addressing the king continues nearby)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha (general)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual hospitality: a devotee pours water into the cupped hand of a yati; then offers a bowl of alms; then again water—set against a river ghat with shining water, suggesting ‘ocean-like’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Sāgara (Ocean)
• Yati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts—water and alms—become immeasurably meritorious when offered reverently to renunciants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha narrative; the exact tīrtha name is given in adjacent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer water into the yati’s hand, give alms, and then offer water again (a respectful sequence of hospitality).