Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

इति सप्तपदैर्बद्धं दानमाहात्म्य मुत्तमम् । शक्त्या ते कीर्तितं राजन्साधु वाऽसाधु वा वद

Transliteration

iti saptapadairbaddhaṃ dānamāhātmya muttamam | śaktyā te kīrtitaṃ rājansādhu vā'sādhu vā vada

Translation

„So ist in sieben Schritten (Versen) die höchste Größe der Gabe dargelegt. O König, nach meinem Vermögen habe ich sie dir verkündet—sage mir nun: Ist es gut gesprochen oder schlecht gesprochen?“

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Adjective/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; समासाङ्ग (numeral member)

• padaiḥ: by words/steps
• padaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental plural)

• baddham: bound; composed
• baddham: Visheshana (Predicate participle/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'bound/compiled'

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

• māhātmyam: the glory (of giving)
• māhātmyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; दान-माहात्म्यम् = 'the greatness of giving'

• uttamam: excellent; supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śaktyā: with (my) ability; as far as possible
• śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (feminine, instrumental singular); 'according to ability'

• te: to you; for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (dative/genitive singular)

• kīrtitam: (has been) narrated
• kīrtitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'has been described'

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative singular)

• sādhu: well; rightly
• sādhu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक/रीतिवाचक (adverb: well/rightly)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• asādhu: ill; wrongly
• asādhu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक/रीतिवाचक (adverb: wrongly)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• vada: say; tell
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher (contextual; preceding speaker not shown)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Dharmavarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher concludes a seven-verse instruction, palms slightly open in modesty; the king leans forward, ready to respond; the atmosphere is calm and respectful.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna (charity) is praised as a supreme dharmic act, worthy of concise, reverent teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on dāna-māhātmya in general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here—only the praise and summary presentation of charity’s merit.