Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पात्रे दानं प्रदातव्यं कृत्वा यज्ञवरं द्विजाः । नापात्रे दीयते किंचिद्दत्तं न तु सुखावहम्

Transliteration

pātre dānaṃ pradātavyaṃ kṛtvā yajñavaraṃ dvijāḥ | nāpātre dīyate kiṃciddattaṃ na tu sukhāvaham

Translation

O ihr Zweifachgeborenen, die Gabe soll nach vollzogenem erhabenen Yajña einem würdigen Empfänger dargebracht werden. Dem Unwürdigen gebe man nichts; denn eine solche Gabe wird nicht zur Ursache von Glück und heilsamer Frucht.

Word by Word

• पात्रे: in/for a worthy recipient (vessel)
• पात्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मवाच्ये कर्म (प्रदातव्यम् इति)

• प्रदातव्यम्: should be given
• प्रदातव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) ; प्रदातव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (gerundive: 'to be given/should be given')

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (वरम् इति विशेषणार्थे)

• वरम्: excellent, best
• वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (यज्ञम्)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (vocative sense)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अपात्रे: in/for an unworthy recipient
• अपात्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दीयते: is given
• दीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• किञ्चित्: anything, something
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित-प्रमाणवाचक (indefinite), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) ; दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (किञ्चित्/दानम्)

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तु: but
• तु: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• सुख: happiness
• सुख: Upapada (in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (आवहम् इति विशेषणार्थे)

• आवहम्: bringing, yielding
• आवहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आवह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह्)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (दत्तम्)

Speaker

Rāma (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (twice-born) addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene after an excellent yajña: fire altar still glowing, priests seated; a donor is advised to give only to worthy brāhmaṇas; an unworthy figure is shown in shadow or turned away, emphasizing discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇa class)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna bears fruit when offered to a fit recipient in a dharmic setting; indiscriminate giving can become fruitless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse teaches general Purāṇic dāna-dharma within Dharmāraṇya’s discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna to a pātra (worthy person), ideally in connection with yajña and dharmic observance; avoid apātra-dāna.