Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

दीनानाथविशिष्टेभ्यो दातव्यं भूतिकाम्यया । अदत्तदाना जायंते परभाग्योपजीविनः

Transliteration

dīnānāthaviśiṣṭebhyo dātavyaṃ bhūtikāmyayā | adattadānā jāyaṃte parabhāgyopajīvinaḥ

Translation

With the wish for prosperity, one should give especially to the poor and the protectorless. Those who do not give in charity come to live dependent on the fortunes of others.

Word by Word

• दीनानाथविशिष्टेभ्यः: to those distinguished as poor and helpless
• दीनानाथविशिष्टेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीन + अनाथ + विशिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th; 'from/than/for'), बहुवचनम्; समासः: दीनानाथैः विशिष्टाः (विशिष्ट-विशेष्यभावः)

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive: 'to be given/should be given'), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (predicate)

• भूतिकाम्यया: with desire for prosperity
• भूतिकाम्यया: Hetu/Instrument (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; समासः: भूतेः काम्या (prosperity-desiring)

• अदत्तदानाः: those who do not give (charity)
• अदत्तदानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + दत्त + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः: येषां दानं न दत्तम् (those who have not given charity)

• जायन्ते: are born/become
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (Plural), आत्मनेपदम्

• परभाग्योपजीविनः: dependents on others' luck/wealth
• परभाग्योपजीविनः: Samjna/Predicate noun (संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + भाग्य + उपजीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः: परस्य भाग्येन उपजीवन्ति (living on others' fortune)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers alms to a poor widow and an orphan near a Kāśī shrine; Lakṣmī-like prosperity is shown subtly behind the donor as a symbolic consequence. In the background, a miser later stands with an empty bowl, dependent on others.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity—especially to the helpless—is a direct cause of welfare; refusal to give creates future dependence and diminishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework (Vārāṇasī’s dharma-ethos), without naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving), with emphasis on recipients who are dīna (poor) and anātha (unprotected).