Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

असत्यसंधो निद्रालुर्दातायं तामसोऽधमः । त्रिशुक्लः कृशवृत्तिश्च घृणालुः सकलेंद्रियः

Transliteration

asatyasaṃdho nidrālurdātāyaṃ tāmaso'dhamaḥ | triśuklaḥ kṛśavṛttiśca ghṛṇāluḥ sakaleṃdriyaḥ

Translation

Ein Spender, der an Unwahrheit gebunden, schlaftrunken und in Tamas versunken ist, gilt als niedrig. Ein solcher Mensch—obgleich äußerlich dreifach „rein“—lebt unerquicklich, ist grausam und wird von den Sinnen getrieben.

Word by Word

• असत्यसन्धः: of false agreement; deceitful
• असत्यसन्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier; of दाता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य + सन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (असत्यः सन्धिः/सन्धः यस्य/यः)

• निद्रालुः: sleepy, slothful
• निद्रालुः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा + आलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आलु-प्रत्ययान्त

• दाता: giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तरि तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तामसः: tamasic, of darkness/ignorance
• तामसः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अधमः: lowest, vile
• अधमः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्रिशुक्लः: threefold-white (tri-white)
• त्रिशुक्लः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः शुक्लाः/शुक्लत्वानि यस्य)

• कृशवृत्तिः: of meagre conduct/livelihood
• कृशवृत्तिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृशा वृत्तिः यस्य/यः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• घृणालुः: compassionate
• घृणालुः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृणा + आलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आलु-प्रत्ययान्त

• सकलेन्द्रियः: having all senses intact
• सकलेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सकलानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor with outward marks of purity (clean clothes, ritual marks) but shadowed by symbols of tamas—heavy eyelids, dark aura, grasping hands—contrasted with a compassionate ascetic; a dharma scale tilts against hypocrisy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outward purity cannot replace truthfulness, self-control, and sincerity; tamasic traits diminish the dignity of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on moral classification of the donor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it warns against qualities that corrupt the spiritual value of dāna.