Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

क्षमा दमो दया दानं सत्यं शौचं धृतिस्तथा । विद्या विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं सर्वं तस्मिन्प्रतिष्ठितम्

Transliteration

kṣamā damo dayā dānaṃ satyaṃ śaucaṃ dhṛtistathā | vidyā vijñānamāstikyaṃ sarvaṃ tasminpratiṣṭhitam

Translation

Duldsamkeit, Selbstbeherrschung, Mitgefühl, Freigebigkeit, Wahrhaftigkeit, Reinheit und Standhaftigkeit — dazu Gelehrsamkeit, Unterscheidungskraft und Glaube — all dies war fest in ihm gegründet.

Word by Word

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

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• दानम्: charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शौचम्: purity
• शौचम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धृतिः: steadfastness
• धृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमवाचक (and likewise)

• विद्या: learning/knowledge
• विद्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: discernment/special knowledge
• विज्ञानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आस्तिक्यम्: faith (belief in the Veda)
• आस्तिक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्तिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all (these)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समष्टिवाचक (collective)

• तस्मिन्: in him
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (अत्र पुरुषे), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: was established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘was established’

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava-sattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical portrayal of virtues surrounding Viṣṇuśarman—each quality suggested through symbolic objects: water pot (śauca), scales (satya), open palm (dāna), calm gaze (kṣamā), rosary (āstikya).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇuśarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner tīrtha is character: forgiveness, self-control, compassion, truth, and purity are presented as the foundation of spiritual authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Bhārabhūti tīrtha, through the saintly qualities of the figure connected to its origin story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the ‘prescription’ is ethical—cultivating core dharmic virtues.