Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

वेदाध्ययनयुक्तानां निर्दोषाणां च पार्थिव । विभज्य स भवेद्देयो नैकस्य च कथंचन

Transliteration

vedādhyayanayuktānāṃ nirdoṣāṇāṃ ca pārthiva | vibhajya sa bhaveddeyo naikasya ca kathaṃcana

Translation

أيها الملك، لا يُعطى العطاء إلا لمن يواظبون على تلاوة الفيدا وخالون من العيب؛ ويُقسَّم على جماعةٍ كثيرة—ولا يُدفع قطّ، في أي حال، إلى شخصٍ واحدٍ وحده.

Word by Word

• वेदाध्ययनयुक्तानाम्: of those devoted to Vedic study
• वेदाध्ययनयुक्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘connected with Veda-study’

• निर्दोषाणाम्: of the faultless
• निर्दोषाणाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विभज्य: having divided, by distributing
• विभज्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + भज् (धातु) → विभज्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/अव्ययीभाव-भाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• सः: it/that (gift)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देयः: to be given, should be given
• देयः: Vidhyartha (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त, यत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive/यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एकस्य: of one (person)
• एकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• कथंचन: in any way, at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (pārthiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kingly patron (pārthiva) overseeing orderly distribution of gifts to multiple Veda-reciting Brāhmaṇas; palm-leaf texts visible; the act is calm, just, and communal.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be guided by discernment: give to worthy recipients and distribute fairly rather than concentrating wealth in one hand.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of a tīrtha-centered discourse but is a general dharmic rule applicable at sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give to faultless Veda-students and distribute the donation among multiple qualified recipients, not a single individual.