Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गोभूहिरण्यमहिषी तिलकंबलवाससाम् । अन्नधान्यजलादीनां नीचेभ्यश्च परिग्रहः

Transliteration

gobhūhiraṇyamahiṣī tilakaṃbalavāsasām | annadhānyajalādīnāṃ nīcebhyaśca parigrahaḥ

Translation

গো, ভূমি, স্বর্ণ, মহিষী, তিল, কম্বল, বস্ত্র এবং অন্ন, ধান্য, জল প্রভৃতি—বিশেষত অযোগ্য/নীচ লোকের কাছ থেকে—অনুচিত দান গ্রহণ করাও পাপ।

Word by Word

• गोभूहिरण्यमहिषी: cows, land, gold, and buffalo-cows
• गोभूहिरण्यमहिषी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक) + हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + महिषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (गो-भू-हिरण्य-महिष्यः समाहार/समुदायः)

• तिलकम्बलवाससाम्: of sesame, blankets, and garments
• तिलकम्बलवाससाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक) + कम्बल (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (तिल-कम्बल-वासांसि)

• अन्नधान्यजलादीनाम्: of food, grain, water, etc.
• अन्नधान्यजलादीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (अन्न-धान्य-जल-आदि)

• नीचेभ्यः: from low/base persons
• नीचेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), बहुवचन (ablative plural)

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

• परिग्रहः: acceptance/receiving (taking)
• परिग्रहः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; √ग्रह् (धातु) उपसर्ग परि- + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive attribution: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers gifts at a sacred setting while a sage cautions: on one side, pure gifts offered with humility; on the other, a corrupt patron hands over wealth with arrogance, shown as darkened/tainted—symbolizing ‘improper acceptance’.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna (context)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not only giving, but also receiving must be governed by dharma; impure sources of wealth are spiritually harmful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the topic is ethical purity regarding parigraha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cautionary rule: avoid accepting gifts/resources from unworthy sources.