Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

धूर्वहास्तत्र दातव्या भूमिः सस्यवती नृप । चित्रभानुं शुभैर्मन्त्रैः प्रीणयेत्तत्र भक्तितः

Transliteration

dhūrvahāstatra dātavyā bhūmiḥ sasyavatī nṛpa | citrabhānuṃ śubhairmantraiḥ prīṇayettatra bhaktitaḥ

Translation

اے بادشاہ، وہاں عبادت کے لائق نذرانے دینے چاہییں اور فصل دینے والی زرخیز زمین کا دان بھی کرنا چاہیے۔ وہاں بھکتی کے ساتھ مبارک منتروں سے چتر بھانو کو خوش کرنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• धूर्वहाः: dhūrvā-bearers (offerers with dhūrvā)
• धूर्वहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्व + ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'धूर्वं वहति' / 'धूर्व-वाह' (one who carries dhūrvā grass)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• दातव्याः: should be given/appointed
• दातव्याः: Vidhi (Obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'धूर्वहाः' विधेय

• भूमिः: land
• भूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सस्यवती: rich in crops
• सस्यवती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सस्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'भूमिः' विशेषण

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• चित्रभानुम्: Citrabhānu (the Sun)
• चित्रभानुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'चित्रः भानुः' (the splendid Sun / Citrabhānu)

• शुभैः: with auspicious
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'मन्त्रैः' विशेषण

• मन्त्रैः: by mantras
• मन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• प्रीणयेत्: should propitiate/please
• प्रीणयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्: 'cause to be pleased/propitiate'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Hetu/Prakara (Cause/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'out of devotion/devotionally'

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly donor presenting a deed/ritual water for land donation; fields of ripe grain behind; a radiant deity (Citrabhānu) invoked with mantras near a fire-altar or temple lamp-flame.

Characters & Entities

• Citrabhānu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha worship is completed by dhārmic giving—especially fertile land—and by mantra-filled devotion toward the presiding sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practices are situated in the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Nāradeśvara/Citrabhānu tīrtha setting near the Revā river.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūmi-dāna (donation of fertile land) and mantra-japa/recitation to please Citrabhānu with devotion.