Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वृद्धिं यातु सदा वंशो ज्ञातिवर्गो द्विजोत्तम । एवमुच्चार्य विप्राय दानं देयं स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

vṛddhiṃ yātu sadā vaṃśo jñātivargo dvijottama | evamuccārya viprāya dānaṃ deyaṃ svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

“اے برہمنوں میں افضل، ہمارا وَنش اور رشتہ داروں کا حلقہ ہمیشہ پھلے پھولے۔” یوں کہہ کر برہمن کو اپنی استطاعت کے مطابق دان دینا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• वृद्धिम्: increase/prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यातु: may it attain/go to
• यातु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-बोधक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वंशः: lineage
• वंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञातिवर्गः: group of relatives
• ज्ञातिवर्गः: Karta (Subject, in apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-बोधक अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उच्चार्य: having recited
• उच्चार्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् + चर् (धातु) → उच्चार्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having uttered)

• विप्राय: to a Brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/what is enjoined)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Predicative obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तव्यता-बोधक (gerundive: ‘to be given’)

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• स्वशक्तितः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), सामर्थ्य-परिमाण-बोधक (according to one’s ability)

Speaker

Vyāsa (teaching ritual utterance and dāna) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (general)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama (addressed within the utterance) and Yudhiṣṭhira (instructional addressee in the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Completion of śrāddha: the yajamāna offers dakṣiṇā (coins/cloth/food) to a seated Brāhmaṇa; the Brāhmaṇa raises a hand in blessing; family members stand respectfully behind; the river and darbha mats remain as ritual backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijottama (excellent Brāhmaṇa)
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral rites are joined with charity and prayer for the well-being and continuity of family and kin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha tradition where śrāddha and dāna are specially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After uttering a blessing, give dāna to the Brāhmaṇa according to one’s means.