Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छ्रद्धावता पात्रे दत्तं न्यायार्जितं हि यत् । तेनैव भगवान्रुद्रः स्वल्पकेनापि तुष्यति

Transliteration

tasmācchraddhāvatā pātre dattaṃ nyāyārjitaṃ hi yat | tenaiva bhagavānrudraḥ svalpakenāpi tuṣyati

Translation

Darum: Was mit śraddhā einem würdigen Empfänger gegeben und auf gerechte Weise erworben wurde—durch eben dies ist Bhagavān Rudra zufrieden, selbst wenn die Gabe gering ist.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Prayojana (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• श्रद्धावतā: by a faithful (person)
• श्रद्धावतā: Karta (Agent as instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (one having faith)

• पात्रे: in/unto a worthy recipient
• पात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/recipient context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given (gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object; thing given)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• न्यायार्जितम्: rightfully earned
• न्यायार्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘dattam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्याय + अर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; अर्जित = √अर्ज्-धातोः भूतकृदन्त (acquired)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avadhāraṇa/Hetu (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma (Correlative to ‘tena’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वल्पकेन: by a small (offering)
• स्वल्पकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Inclusiveness)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• तुष्यति: is pleased
• तुष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble devotee offers a small but pure gift (water, bilva leaf, handful of grain) to a worthy brāhmaṇa/ascetic near a Śiva-liṅga; Rudra’s presence is suggested as a luminous aura approving the act.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith, rightful earning, and the worthiness of the recipient matter more than the size of the gift; such dāna pleases Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse emphasizes Shaiva dharma through dāna that pleases Rudra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give nyāyārjita (honestly earned) wealth, with śraddhā, to a pātra (worthy person).