Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

संतोषं परमास्थाय स्थिता धर्मपरायणाः । प्रतिग्रहप्रयोगेण न चास्माकं प्रयोजनम्

Transliteration

saṃtoṣaṃ paramāsthāya sthitā dharmaparāyaṇāḥ | pratigrahaprayogeṇa na cāsmākaṃ prayojanam

Translation

„In höchster Genügsamkeit gegründet und dem Dharma ergeben, haben wir keinen Bedarf, uns mit dem Annehmen von Gaben zu befassen.“

Word by Word

• संतोषम्: contentment
• संतोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘संतोषम्’)

• आस्थाय: having resorted to
• आस्थाय: Kriya (Action—prior/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ+स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• स्थिताः: standing, abiding
• स्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक विशेषणम्

• धर्मपरायणाः: devoted to dharma
• धर्मपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्मे परायणाः)

• प्रतिग्रहप्रयोगेण: by the practice of accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहप्रयोगेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रतिग्रहस्य प्रयोगः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

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

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose, need
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Ascetic brāhmaṇas (addressing Rāma; framed by Brahmā’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) sages/assembly; narrative audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas standing calmly with folded hands, declaring contentment and refusal of gift-taking; Rāma listens with respectful attention; the forest hermitage appears orderly and spare.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-parāyaṇas
• Pratigraha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contentment (saṃtoṣa) and dharma-centered living reduce dependence and protect spiritual integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the focus is ethical discipline within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restraint: avoiding pratigraha (acceptance of gifts), especially as a chosen dharmic discipline.