Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । वृथा जन्मानि चत्वारि वृथा दानानि षोडश । सुजन्मानि च चत्वारि महादानानि षोडश

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | vṛthā janmāni catvāri vṛthā dānāni ṣoḍaśa | sujanmāni ca catvāri mahādānāni ṣoḍaśa

Translation

Īśvara sprach: „Es gibt vier Arten vergeblicher Geburten und sechzehn Arten vergeblicher Gaben. Es gibt auch vier Arten edler Geburten und sechzehn große Gaben (Mahādāna).“

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'in vain')

• जन्मानि: births
• जन्मानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचनार्थे (sixteen)

• सु-जन्मानि: good births
• सु-जन्मानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुन्दराणि जन्मानि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• महा-दानानि: great gifts
• महा-दानानि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्ति दानानि)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचनार्थे

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins a formal śāstric enumeration: ‘four wasted births, sixteen wasted gifts; four noble births, sixteen great gifts’—a moment of authoritative classification.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not every act labeled “charity” becomes merit; dharma distinguishes between empty giving and truly transformative great gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A promised taxonomy of vṛthā-dāna (futile gifts) and mahādāna (great gifts), to be detailed in subsequent verses.