Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

संसारसागरे घोरे धर्माधर्मोर्मिसंकुले । दानं तत्र निषेवेत तच्च नौरिव निर्मितम्

Transliteration

saṃsārasāgare ghore dharmādharmormisaṃkule | dānaṃ tatra niṣeveta tacca nauriva nirmitam

Translation

In dem schrecklichen Ozean des Saṃsāra, aufgewühlt von den Wogen von Dharma und Adharma, soll man Dāna (Gabe) üben; denn dort ist sie wie ein Boot gestaltet, um hinüberzugelangen.

Word by Word

• संसारसागरे: in the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिक); संसारसागर (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य सागरः)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘संसारसागरे’

• धर्माधर्मोर्मिसंकुले: crowded with waves of dharma and adharma
• धर्माधर्मोर्मिसंकुले: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + अधर्म + ऊर्मि + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक); धर्माधर्मोर्मिसंकुल (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्माधर्मरूपैः ऊर्मिभिः संकुलः) विशेषणम् ‘संसारसागरे’

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

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

• निषेवेत: one should resort to; practice
• निषेवेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that (charity)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• नौः: a boat
• नौः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Upama (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• निर्मितम्: made; fashioned
• निर्मितम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्+मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘तत्’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stormy ocean labeled ‘saṃsāra’ with waves ‘dharma’ and ‘adharma’; a sturdy boat named ‘dāna’ carries pilgrims safely toward a luminous shore.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity (dāna) is a practical dharmic means that helps one cross the perilous ocean of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents a general Purāṇic principle of dharma centered on dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is to ‘practice dāna’—regular charitable giving as a dharmic discipline.