Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विप्राणां वेदविदुषां कोटिं संभोज्य यत्फलम् । भिक्षामात्रप्रदानेन तत्फलं शिवयोगिनाम्

Transliteration

viprāṇāṃ vedaviduṣāṃ koṭiṃ saṃbhojya yatphalam | bhikṣāmātrapradānena tatphalaṃ śivayoginām

Translation

ผลบุญที่ได้จากการเลี้ยงพราหมณ์ผู้รู้พระเวทถึงหนึ่งโกฏินั้น ศิวโยคีย่อมได้ผลบุญเดียวกันด้วยการให้ทานเพียงเล็กน้อยเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• विप्राणाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• वेदविदुषाम्: of Veda-knowers
• वेदविदुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘वेदं विदन्ति’

• कोटिम्: a crore (of them)
• कोटिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘a crore’

• संभोज्य: having fed
• संभोज्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) from सम्+√भुज् (causative sense ‘to feed’): ‘having fed’

• यत्: which
• यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘फलम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भिक्षामात्रप्रदानेन: by giving only alms
• भिक्षामात्रप्रदानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष मिश्र) ‘भिक्षा-मात्रस्य प्रदानम्’ = by the giving of mere alms

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘फलम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शिवयोगिनाम्: of Śiva-yogins
• शिवयोगिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of Śiva-yogins’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor householder offers a small bowl of alms to a Śiva-yogin; in the background, a vast feast of countless brāhmaṇas appears as a symbolic vision of equivalent merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-yogin
• Vipra
• Veda-vid

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small, sincere alms offered in a Śaiva yogic spirit yields immense merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the focus is on dāna within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Śaiva framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā-pradāna (giving alms), highlighting its potency when connected to Śiva-yoga and ascetic virtue.