Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44
Devanagari script
सर्वस्वं जीवितं चापि दद्यादश्रद्धया यदि । नाप्नुयात्स फलं किंचिच्छ्रद्दधानस्ततो भवेत्
Transliteration
sarvasvaṃ jīvitaṃ cāpi dadyādaśraddhayā yadi | nāpnuyātsa phalaṃ kiṃcicchraddadhānastato bhavet
Translation
Selbst wenn jemand alles hingäbe, ja sogar sein eigenes Leben, so erlangt er ohne Śraddhā keinerlei Frucht. Darum werde man ein Gebender, erfüllt von Śraddhā, ehrfürchtigem Glauben.
Word by Word
सर्वस्वम्all one’s possessions
सर्वस्वम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व + स्व (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
जीवितम्life
जीवितम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजीवित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √जीव् (धातु) + क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (दान-वस्तु)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात
अपिeven; also
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)
दद्यात्should give
दद्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√दा (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
अश्रद्धयाwith lack of faith
अश्रद्धया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअ-श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
यदिif
यदि:
Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि (अव्यय)
Formशर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional: “if”)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
आप्नुयात्would obtain
आप्नुयात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√आप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
फलम्fruit, result
फलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootफल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
किञ्चित्any (at all)
किञ्चित्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रमाण (indefinite)
श्रद्दधानःhaving faith; faithful
श्रद्दधानः:
Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रद् + √धा (धातु) (कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), विशेषण (qualifying saḥ)
ततःtherefore
ततः:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (अव्यय)
Formतस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (ablative adverb: “therefore/from that”)
भवेत्would be; would become
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
FAQs
The merit of charity depends on śraddhā; without faith, even the greatest gift becomes fruitless.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches a general rule of Purāṇic dāna-dharma.
Give with śraddhā; the inner disposition is prescribed as essential for dāna to bear fruit.