Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

यानीह दत्तानि पुनर्धनानि दानानि धर्मार्थयशस्कराणि । औदार्यतो विप्रनिवेदितानि को नाम साधुः पुनराददीत

Transliteration

yānīha dattāni punardhanāni dānāni dharmārthayaśaskarāṇi | audāryato vipraniveditāni ko nāma sādhuḥ punarādadīta

Translation

Wer, wahrhaft tugendhaft, würde je wieder die hier gegebenen Reichtümer und Gaben zurücknehmen—Spenden, die Dharma, Gedeihen und guten Ruf schenken—großmütig dargebracht und den Brāhmaṇas geweiht?

Word by Word

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb)

• दत्तानि: given
• दत्तानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; दा धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (धनानि/दानानि)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• धनानि: wealths/possessions
• धनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक); दा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; धनानि इति समानाधिकरण

• धर्म: dharma
• धर्म: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• अर्थ: wealth/purpose
• अर्थ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• यशः: fame
• यशः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• कराणि: producing (benefits)
• कराणि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (कर = making/producing) समासान्तपद (धर्मार्थयशस्कराणि = producing dharma, artha, fame)

• औदार्यतः: out of generosity
• औदार्यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: औदार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): औदार्यतः = out of generosity

• विप्र: to/for a Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• निवेदितानि: offered/presented
• निवेदितानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-विद् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नि-उपसर्ग; विशेषणम् (दानानि)

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नाम: indeed/ever
• नाम: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis)

• साधुः: a good man
• साधुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• आददीत: should take back
• आददीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified donor, after gifting wealth and land, turns away from temptation; behind him, personified Dharma and Yaśas stand radiant, while a shadowy figure of Lobha tries to pull the gift back but is restrained by conscience.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dāna is irreversible; reclaiming what is donated—especially what is dedicated to brāhmaṇas and dharma—destroys merit and virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches a universal standard of dāna-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes steadfastness in dāna: once a gift is formally offered (nivedita), it should not be taken back.