Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा दानं भूरितरं गवाश्वमहिषीरथम् । ततः सर्वान्निजांस्तांश्च वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

dattvā dānaṃ bhūritaraṃ gavāśvamahiṣīratham | tataḥ sarvānnijāṃstāṃśca vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

Nachdem er reichliche Gaben gespendet hatte—Kühe, Pferde, Büffel und Wagen—wandte er sich darauf an alle Seinen mit folgenden Worten.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकाल; (having given)

• दानम्: a gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• भूरितरम्: more abundant/very much
• भूरितरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि + तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तर्हि-प्रत्ययान्त-तुलनात्मक (comparative) विशेषणम् (दानम्)

• गवाश्वमहिषीरथम्: (as gifts) cows, horses, buffalo-cows, and chariots
• गवाश्वमहिषीरथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव + अश्व + महिषी + रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (cows, horses, buffalo-cows, chariots as a set)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (निजान्)

• निजान्: his own (people)
• निजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्म (जनान् understood: his own people/attendants)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निजान् इत्यस्य पुनरुक्त-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वाक्यम्)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/then (narrative particle)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-निपात (expletive particle, narrative emphasis)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma distributes abundant gifts—cows, horses, buffaloes, chariots—to sages and attendants; an orderly assembly, hands receiving, scribes recording, and a sense of royal generosity in a sacred forest court.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma culminates in generosity: worship is perfected when its merit flows outward as charity and support of society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya setting remains the narrative backdrop, presenting charity performed in a holy region as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving), specifically of valuable royal gifts such as cows, horses, buffaloes, and chariots, following the rite.