Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

सुखपूर्वं शुचौ भूमौ पुष्पधूपाक्षतैस्तथा । कर्णाभ्यां रत्ने दातव्ये दीपौ नेत्रद्वये तथा

Transliteration

sukhapūrvaṃ śucau bhūmau puṣpadhūpākṣataistathā | karṇābhyāṃ ratne dātavye dīpau netradvaye tathā

Translation

โดยสบาย บนพื้นอันบริสุทธิ์ พร้อมดอกไม้ ธูป และอักษตะ (ข้าวสารไม่แตก) พึงถวายทานดังนี้: อัญมณีสำหรับหูทั้งสอง และประทีปสำหรับตาทั้งสองด้วย

Word by Word

• sukha-pūrvam: comfortably, with ease
• sukha-pūrvam: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb) ‘सुखेन पूर्वम्/सुखपूर्वकं’ (comfortably/with ease)

• śucau: in a clean (place)
• śucau: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूमौ इति विशेषण (in a clean [place])

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• puṣpa-dhūpa-akṣataiḥ: with flowers, incense, and rice-grains
• puṣpa-dhūpa-akṣataiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; ‘with flowers, incense, and unbroken rice’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यत्व (thus, likewise)

• karṇābhyām: with/for the two ears
• karṇābhyām: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), द्विवचन

• ratne: two gems
• ratne: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन; (दातव्ये इति विशेषण)

• dātavye: should be given
• dātavye: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (दा) + -tavya (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-द्विवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be given)

• dīpau: two lamps
• dīpau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• netra-dvaye: for the pair of eyes
• netra-dvaye: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dvaya of eyes) / द्विगु-सदृश प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/सम्प्रदानार्थ), एकवचन; ‘for/in the pair of eyes’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘likewise’

Speaker

Textual narrator prescribing symbolic dāna accompaniments (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-ghāṭa dīpa-dāna (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene riverbank altar on pure ground: flowers, incense smoke, akṣata; a donor places earrings/jewels as offerings and lights two lamps aligned with the eyes motif; twilight setting enhances lamp glow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not merely material—it is a sanctified act with symbolic offerings that honor the recipient and refine the giver’s intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it is a ritual instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare a clean place with flowers, incense, and akṣata; give jewels symbolically for the ears and lamps for the eyes.