Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अभिगम्योत्तमं दानं स्मृतमाहूय मध्यमम् । याच्यमानं कनीयः स्याद्देहि देहीति चाधमम्

Transliteration

abhigamyottamaṃ dānaṃ smṛtamāhūya madhyamam | yācyamānaṃ kanīyaḥ syāddehi dehīti cādhamam

Translation

الصدقة التي تُعطى بالذهاب شخصيًا تُذكَر على أنها الأعلى؛ والتي تُعطى بعد الدعوة فهي متوسطة. والتي لا تُعطى إلا عند الطلب فهي أدنى؛ وأما التي تُنتزع بتكرار «أعطِ، أعطِ!» فهي الأوضع.

Word by Word

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• अभिगम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: गम्, उपसर्ग: अभि

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

• दानम्: gift
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्मृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (is said/considered)

• आहूय: having called (invited)
• आहूय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: ह्वे, उपसर्ग: आ

• मध्यमम्: middling, medium
• मध्यमम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

• याच्यमानम्: (gift) being requested
• याच्यमानम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याच्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; याच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय, present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘being asked/begged for’

• कनीयः: inferior, lesser
• कनीयः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कनीयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देहि: give!
• देहि: Kriya (Quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देहि: give!
• देहि: Kriya (Quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

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

• अधमम्: lowest, base
• अधमम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel narrative: (1) donor walking to offer alms; (2) donor giving after being invited; (3) donor giving to a petitioner; (4) a pushy demander repeating ‘dehi dehi’ while donor looks distressed—illustrating ethical decline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purity and initiative behind giving matters: the more voluntary and respectful the charity, the higher its spiritual value.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a normative dharma teaching within the Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A graded guideline for dāna: best is proactive giving; next is giving upon invitation; lower is giving only when asked; lowest is giving under persistent demand.