Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

देशेकाले च पात्रे च शुद्धेन मनसा तथा । न्यायार्जितं च यो दद्याद्यौवने स तदश्नुते

Transliteration

deśekāle ca pātre ca śuddhena manasā tathā | nyāyārjitaṃ ca yo dadyādyauvane sa tadaśnute

Translation

Wer mit reinem Sinn das rechtmäßig Erworbene gibt—unter Beachtung von Ort, Zeit und würdigem Empfänger—der genießt seine Frucht sogar in der Jugend.

Word by Word

• deśe: in (proper) place
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kāle: at (proper) time
• kāle: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pātre: in/with a (fit) recipient
• pātre: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• śuddhena: with pure
• śuddhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मनसः)

• manasā: mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• nyāya-arjitam: rightfully acquired (wealth)
• nyāya-arjitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + arjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √arj ‘अर्ज्’ क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (न्यायेन अर्जितम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give / would give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• yauvane: in youth
• yauvane: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tat: that (result)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aśnute: enjoys/attains
• aśnute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धा॒तु; अश् भक्षणे/उपभोगे)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Nārada (general dharma instruction within narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful householder offers alms with serene face to a worthy ascetic near a sacred setting; symbols of deśa (temple), kāla (sun/moon), and pātra (recipient) appear as guiding motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Deśa (place)
• Kāla (time)
• Pātra (worthy recipient)
• Nyāyārjita (righteously earned wealth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper charity is contextual (place-time-recipient), pure in intention, and sourced from righteous earning—yielding swift and visible benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse provides universal criteria applicable to giving at any sacred site or occasion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give with śuddha-manas, using nyāyārjita wealth, and follow deśa-kāla-pātra suitability.