Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अहं दास्यामि धान्यं वा वासांसि द्रविणं बहु । नित्यमाचर धर्मं त्वं ध्यायन्नित्यं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ dāsyāmi dhānyaṃ vā vāsāṃsi draviṇaṃ bahu | nityamācara dharmaṃ tvaṃ dhyāyannityaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

เราจักมอบธัญญาหาร เครื่องนุ่งห่ม และทรัพย์สมบัติมากมายแก่เจ้า ส่วนเจ้าจงประพฤติธรรมเป็นนิตย์ และเพ่งภาวนาถึงพระมหेशวรอยู่เสมอ

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• दास्यामि: I will give
• दास्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future); उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• धान्यम्: grain
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: or)

• वासांसि: garments, clothes
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• द्रविणम्: wealth, money
• द्रविणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रविण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• बहु: much, abundant
• बहु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); विशेषणम् (qualifying द्रविणम्)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• आचर: practice, perform
• आचर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; मध्यमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शतृ/Present Active Participle); पुंलिङ्गम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; (त्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (Great Lord, Shiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Rājñī (Queen Bhānumatī, by context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal figure offers grain, garments, and wealth to an ascetic/forest-dweller, while the ascetic remains inwardly absorbed in Śiva-meditation; the riverine pilgrimage landscape is implied.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• dharma
• dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material support is best used to stabilize a life in dharma, anchored in steady devotion to Śiva (Maheśvara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Śūlabheda tīrtha environment is the stage for Śaiva dharma instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily dharma practice and continual meditation (dhyāna) on Maheśvara; dāna of grain, clothing, and wealth is also indicated.