Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अर्थिभिर्दीयमानानि दृष्ट्वा तत्र धनानि वै । सर्वस्वमप्यहो राज्ञा दत्तमित्यब्रवीज्जनः

Transliteration

arthibhirdīyamānāni dṛṣṭvā tatra dhanāni vai | sarvasvamapyaho rājñā dattamityabravījjanaḥ

Translation

Als man sah, wie dort Reichtümer an die Bittenden verteilt wurden, riefen die Leute: „Wahrlich, der König hat sogar alles, was er besitzt, verschenkt!“

Word by Word

• अर्थिभिः: by/with the supplicants
• अर्थिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘अर्थिन्’ = याचकः (beggar/supplicant)

• दीयमानानि: being given
• दीयमानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + शानच्/मान (कृदन्त, कर्मणि वर्तमानकाले)
• Form: कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘being given’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• धनानि: wealth, riches
• धनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वस्वम्: everything, all possessions
• सर्वस्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + स्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘सर्वस्य स्वम्’ = all one’s property

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• अहो: ah!, indeed!
• अहो: Sambandha/Exclamation (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamation)

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जनः: the people/person
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmītīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / assembly of sages (addressed as ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal dāna-sabhā near a sacred waterbody: petitioners approach; heaps of coins, cloth, grain, and ornaments are distributed; onlookers marvel, proclaiming the king has given everything.

Characters & Entities

• The king (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• People (jana)
• Supplicants (arthins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship is measured by selfless giving; the ideal is generosity that appears like 'giving all'.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmītīrtha within Setukhaṇḍa, where dāna is framed as a manifestation of the tīrtha’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights sarvasva-like giving as an ideal attitude in dāna, witnessed and affirmed by society.