Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मदत्तश्च पांचाल्यो राजा बुद्धिमतां वरः । निधिं शंखं द्विजाग्र्येभ्यो दत्त्वा स्वर्गमवाप्तवान्

Transliteration

brahmadattaśca pāṃcālyo rājā buddhimatāṃ varaḥ | nidhiṃ śaṃkhaṃ dvijāgryebhyo dattvā svargamavāptavān

Translation

পাঞ্চালরাজ ব্রহ্মদত্ত, যিনি জ্ঞানীদের মধ্যে শ্রেষ্ঠ, দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠদের ‘শঙ্খ’ নামক নিধি দান করে স্বর্গ লাভ করেছিলেন।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मदत्तः: Brahmadatta (name)
• ब्रह्मदत्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मदत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—ब्रह्म + दत्त (तत्पुरुषः, ‘ब्रह्मणा दत्तः’ इति)

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

• पांचाल्यः: the Pāñcāla king (Pāñcālya)
• पांचाल्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the wise
• बुद्धिमताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निधिम्: a treasure
• निधिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• शंखम्: a conch
• शंखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः: to the foremost Brahmins
• द्विजाग्र्येभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विजानाम् अग्र्याः (तत्पुरुषः)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having given’

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (कर्म/goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप्तवान्: obtained/reached
• अवाप्तवान्: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (क्तवतु/क्तवत्), परस्मैपदी-भावः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतार्थे (past/perfective sense): ‘obtained’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise Pāñcāla king, Brahmadatta, offers a conch-named treasure (Śaṅkha-nidhi) to venerable brāhmaṇas; the gift is sanctified by Śaiva devotion, with a subtle aura of ascent to svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmadatta
• Pāñcāla
• Brāhmaṇas (Dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth becomes spiritually fruitful when offered in charity to worthy recipients, yielding higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is the fruit of dāna itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donation of valuable treasure (nidhi-dāna) to dvijas/Brāhmaṇas.