Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

यावदस्त्यखिलं वित्तं तन्मध्ये न्यस्य कस्यचित् । न स्तोकमपि दातव्यं तदाऽदास्यामि नान्यथा

Transliteration

yāvadastyakhilaṃ vittaṃ tanmadhye nyasya kasyacit | na stokamapi dātavyaṃ tadā'dāsyāmi nānyathā

Translation

ما دمتَ تملك شيئًا من المال، فاجمعه كلَّه وضعه في موضعٍ واحد. ولا يُعطى منه شيءٌ ولو يسيرًا في غيره؛ عندئذٍ أقبله—ولا غير ذلك.»

Word by Word

• यावत्: as much as; so long as
• यावत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक adverb: ‘as much as/so long as’)

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अखिलम्: entire; whole
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वित्तम्)

• वित्तम्: wealth
• वित्तम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्-मध्ये: in the midst of that
• तत्-मध्ये: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-निबद्धं अव्ययवत् (तस्य मध्ये = ‘within that’)

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; ‘having placed/deposited’

• कस्यचित्: of someone; of any person
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation)

• स्तोकम्: a little
• स्तोकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = ‘even/also’)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-भावः (gerundive: ‘must be given’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb)

• अदास्यामि: I shall give
• अदास्यामि: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-रहित रूप (दास्यामि)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक adverb: ‘otherwise’)

Speaker

A brāhmaṇa (dvija) addressing the caṇḍāla (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A directive scene: the recipient instructs the donor to gather all wealth in one place, emphasizing ‘not even a little elsewhere’; the moment conveys vow-like seriousness.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva of Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True charity demands integrity and single-pointedness—offering without diversion or partiality when a vow of giving is undertaken.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, implied through the devotional frame of Viśveśa and the dharma of giving in the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict condition for dāna/pratigraha: the giver should not distribute even a small portion elsewhere before the intended offering is completed.