Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सर्वस्यापि हि दानस्य संख्यास्तीह नराधिप । चन्द्रसूर्योपरागे च दानसंख्या न विद्यते

Transliteration

sarvasyāpi hi dānasya saṃkhyāstīha narādhipa | candrasūryoparāge ca dānasaṃkhyā na vidyate

Translation

لكل صنفٍ من العطاء مقدارٌ لثمرته في هذا العالم، يا ملكَ الناس؛ أمّا عند خسوف القمر وكسوف الشمس فلا تُعرَف لثمرة العطاء حدودٌ ولا مقدار.

Word by Word

• sarvasya: of all
• sarvasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सार्वनामिक-विशेषण

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• dānasya: of donation
• dānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• saṃkhyā: number/count
• saṃkhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asti: exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'here/in this matter')

• narādhipa: O king
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणाम् अधिपः)

• candra-sūrya-uparāge: at the lunar/solar eclipse
• candra-sūrya-uparāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + uparāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (चन्द्रसूर्ययोः) + तत्पुरुष (उपरागे)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dāna-saṃkhyā: the count of donations
• dāna-saṃkhyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य संख्या)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• vidyate: is found/exists
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग (exists/is found)

Speaker

Narrator addressing the King (explicit: narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Grahaṇa-parva (universal) within Revā-khaṇḍa framing

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a king listens to a divine/saintly teacher pointing to an eclipse in the sky; below, various charities are shown with ‘measured’ scales, while eclipse-time charity is shown as overflowing beyond any scale.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• uparāga (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eclipse-time giving transcends ordinary calculation, indicating a uniquely potent spiritual window.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa milieu; the verse’s emphasis is on sacred time rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in dāna during lunar or solar eclipses, when the merit is declared immeasurable.