Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अश्वं रथं गजं यानं तुलापुरुषमेव च । शकटं यः प्रदद्याद्वा सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्

Transliteration

aśvaṃ rathaṃ gajaṃ yānaṃ tulāpuruṣameva ca | śakaṭaṃ yaḥ pradadyādvā saptadhānyaprapūritam

Translation

جو گھوڑا، رتھ، ہاتھی، سواری کا وسیلہ اور تُلاپُرُش کی نذر دے—یا سات اناجوں سے بھری گاڑی خیرات کرے—

Word by Word

• अश्वम्: a horse
• अश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रथम्: a chariot
• रथम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गजम्: an elephant
• गजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यानम्: a vehicle
• यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तुलापुरुषम्: a tulāpuruṣa offering (weighing ceremony/person weighed)
• तुलापुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तुलायाः पुरुषः/तुलासम्बद्धः पुरुषः)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शकटम्: a cart/wagon
• शकटम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• प्रदद्याद्: should give
• प्रदद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; सकर्मक

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्: filled with seven kinds of grain
• सप्तधान्यप्रपूरितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र + पूरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘पूरित’; समासः—सप्तधान्येन प्रपूरितम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (best of kings) is being addressed in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor (often a king/wealthy householder) presents grand gifts: horse, chariot, elephant, palanquin/vehicle; a tulāpuruṣa scene with the donor weighed against gold; a cart brimming with seven grains offered to a learned recipient.

Characters & Entities

• Tulāpuruṣa
• Sapta-dhānya (seven grains)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grand acts of dāna (charity)—especially in a sacred context—are celebrated as powerful supports of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa, tied to Revā-kṣetra (the Narmadā sacred region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of valuable conveyances (horse, chariot, elephant), tulāpuruṣa offering, or a cart filled with seven grains.