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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

गुरौ च दत्तं यद्दानं दत्तं पात्रेषु मानवैः । निष्फलं तद्भवेत्प्रेत्य यात्युताधोगतिं प्रति

gurau ca dattaṃ yaddānaṃ dattaṃ pātreṣu mānavaiḥ | niṣphalaṃ tadbhavetpretya yātyutādhogatiṃ prati

Eine Gabe, die dem Guru gebührte, die Menschen jedoch anderen — selbst Würdigen — geben, wird nach dem Tod fruchtlos und kann sogar zu einem Abstieg führen.

गुरौin/for the guru
गुरौ:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)
and
:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)
दत्तम्given
दत्तम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
यत्which
यत्:
Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
दानम्gift
दानम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
दत्तम्given
दत्तम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
पात्रेषुamong/into recipients (worthy vessels)
पात्रेषु:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Locative plural)
मानवैःby men; by humans
मानवैः:
Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमानव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Instrumental plural)
निष्फलम्fruitless
निष्फलम्:
Predicative (Vidheyavisheshana/विधेयविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिः+फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
तत्that
तत्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)
भवेत्would become; would be
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)
प्रेत्यafter death
प्रेत्य:
Kala (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्र+इ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
Formल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having departed/after death’
यातिgoes
याति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)
उतalso; indeed
उत:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउत (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle: also/indeed)
अधोगतिम्downward course; lower state
अधोगतिम्:
Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअधः + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (अधः-गति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)
प्रतिtowards
प्रति:
Karma-pravachaniya (Postposition/कर्मप्रवचनीय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootप्रति (अव्यय)
Formउपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like: towards)

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa prepares a gift; the guru stands nearby, while other worthy mendicants wait. A subtle shadow of Yama’s path behind indicates post-mortem consequence when the guru’s due is bypassed.

G
guru
P
pātra
A
adhogati

FAQs

Dharma is not only about giving, but giving in the right order; neglecting the guru undermines the spiritual fruit of charity.

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the māhātmya emphasizes disciplined dāna as part of the sacred culture of the kṣetra.

Do not divert what is due to the guru; fulfill guru-dāna first to avoid niṣphalatā (fruitlessness) and negative karmic outcome.