Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

दीपकाष्ठोपलादीनि चरमं बहुवार्षिकम् । इति कानीयसान्याहुर्दाननाशत्रयं श्रृणु

Transliteration

dīpakāṣṭhopalādīni caramaṃ bahuvārṣikam | iti kānīyasānyāhurdānanāśatrayaṃ śrṛṇu

Translation

Lichtspenden, Brennholz, Steine und dergleichen sind die niedrigsten Gaben; ihr Verdienst ist kurzlebig, selbst über viele Jahre hinweg. Darum nennt man sie „gering“. Nun höre die drei Weisen, durch die eine Gabe zunichte wird und fruchtlos bleibt.

Word by Word

• dīpa: lamp
• dīpa: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (masculine stem); समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• kāṣṭha: wood
• kāṣṭha: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (neuter stem); समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• upala: stone
• upala: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (masculine stem); समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• ādīni: and similar (items)
• ādīni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative plural); '...आदि' = 'and the like' (ending member of compound)

• caramam: last; final
• caramam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: carama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• bahu: many
• bahu: Visheshana (Adjective/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• vārṣikam: lasting many years
• vārṣikam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārṣika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); बहु+वार्षिक = 'many-years/annual over many years'

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-शब्दः, अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• kānīyasāni: inferior; lesser (ones)
• kānīyasāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kānīyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative plural)

• āhuḥ: they said; they call
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dāna: gift; giving
• dāna: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• nāśa: destruction; loss
• nāśa: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• trayam: the threefold (types)
• trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); दान-नाश-त्रयम् = 'the triad of (gift-)destruction'

• śṛṇu: hear; listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage instructs a king in a quiet hermitage; in the foreground are humble offerings—oil-lamp, firewood, stones—contrasted with more nourishing gifts; the mood is contemplative and corrective.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Small gifts still matter, but the purity of intention and conduct is crucial—otherwise charity can lose its spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse transitions to a general dharma rule on ‘dāna-nāśa’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists lesser gifts (lamp, firewood, stones) and introduces the teaching of three ways charity’s merit can be destroyed.