Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दमः प्रसादो माधुर्यं मृदुतेति यमा दश । शौचं स्नानं तपो दानं मौनेज्याध्ययनं व्रतम्

Transliteration

damaḥ prasādo mādhuryaṃ mṛduteti yamā daśa | śaucaṃ snānaṃ tapo dānaṃ maunejyādhyayanaṃ vratam

Translation

Selbstzucht, innere Gelassenheit, Süße der Rede und Sanftmut—diese werden zu den zehn Yamas gezählt. Reinheit, rituelles Bad, Askese, Almosengabe, Schweigen, Verehrung, heiliges Studium und Gelübde—so werden die Übungen gelehrt, die das Dharma tragen.

Word by Word

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

• प्रसादः: serenity/clarity
• प्रसादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• माधुर्यम्: sweetness/gentleness
• माधुर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यमाः: restraints (yamas)
• यमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्/दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; यमाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• मौन: silence
• मौन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• इज्या: worship/sacrifice
• इज्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इज्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अध्ययनम्: study
• अध्ययनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm forest hermitage where a teacher enumerates dharmic disciplines; a riverbank nearby suggests snāna; students hold palm-leaf manuscripts; a small altar indicates worship and vows.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is stabilized through inner restraints (yama) and daily disciplines (niyama-like practices) such as purity, study, worship, charity, and vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents universal dharma-principles suitable for any sacred place and pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), ijyā (worship), adhyayana (scriptural study), dāna (charity), and vrata (vowed observance) are explicitly mentioned.