Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दानं श्रद्धास्वशक्तिभ्यां लक्ष्मीपूजा विशेषतः । तत्र स्नानेन दानेन लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै विशेषतः

Transliteration

dānaṃ śraddhāsvaśaktibhyāṃ lakṣmīpūjā viśeṣataḥ | tatra snānena dānena lakṣmīprītyai viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Man soll mit Glauben und nach eigener Kraft Almosen geben und besonders Lakṣmī verehren. An jenem Ort werden das heilige Bad und die Gabe—vor allem—eigentlich zur Freude Lakṣmīs vollzogen.

Word by Word

• दानम्: gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वशक्तिभ्याम्: with one’s own capacity (as means/measure)
• स्वशक्तिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; ‘स्वा शक्ति’ इति कर्मधारय

• लक्ष्मीपूजा: worship of Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘लक्ष्म्याः पूजा’)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘especially’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दानेन: by giving (charity)
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै: for Lakṣmī’s pleasure
• लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै: Sampradana (Beneficiary/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘लक्ष्म्याः प्रीतिः’), प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanayakṣa-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After bathing, pilgrims offer gifts to brāhmaṇas/poor; a Lakṣmī shrine or icon is worshiped with lotus flowers, lamps, and kalasha. The atmosphere is auspicious and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled charity within one’s means, joined with Lakṣmī worship, harmonizes prosperity with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred locale in Ayodhyā where snāna and dāna are said to be especially pleasing to Lakṣmī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna with śraddhā and within capacity; perform Lakṣmī-pūjā; combine snāna and dāna at the site for Lakṣmī’s pleasure.