Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । दानधर्मं प्रशंसंति सर्वधर्मेषु सर्वदा । हरौ सुप्ते विशेषेण दानं ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | dānadharmaṃ praśaṃsaṃti sarvadharmeṣu sarvadā | harau supte viśeṣeṇa dānaṃ brahmatvakāraṇam

Translation

Brahmā sprach: In allen Wegen des Dharma wird die Gabe stets gepriesen. Und besonders, wenn Hari im göttlichen Schlaf weilt (während des Cāturmāsya), wird das Geben zur Ursache, den Brahma-Stand zu erlangen — eine erhabene geistige Vollendung.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दानधर्मम्: the duty of giving (charity)
• दानधर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य धर्मः)

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वधर्मेषु: among all duties
• सर्वधर्मेषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे धर्माः)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb)

• हरौ: when/while Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरौ: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुप्ते: asleep
• सुप्ते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्वप्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हरौ)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial instrumental)

• दानम्: charity; giving
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्: a cause of attaining Brahmanhood
• ब्रह्मत्वकारणम्: Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मत्व-कारण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मत्वस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, seated on a lotus, instructs sages on the glory of charity during Viṣṇu’s divine sleep; in the background, Viṣṇu reclines in yoganidrā on Śeṣa over the cosmic waters, indicating Cāturmāsya sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Cāturmāsya (implied by harau supte)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity is universally praised, and its merit is heightened during the sacred season when Hari is said to be in yogic sleep.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame remains Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya in Nāgara-khaṇḍa, where seasonal observances are taught in a tīrtha setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform dāna (charitable giving), with special emphasis during Cāturmāsya/Hariśayana, as a high-merit religious act.