Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

के द्विहेतू षडाख्यातान्यधिष्ठानानि कानि च । कानि चैव षडंगानि कौ द्वौ पाकौ तथा स्मृतौ

Transliteration

ke dvihetū ṣaḍākhyātānyadhiṣṭhānāni kāni ca | kāni caiva ṣaḍaṃgāni kau dvau pākau tathā smṛtau

Translation

“What are the two causes (of dāna), and what are the six foundations that are declared? What indeed are the six limbs, and which two ‘ripenings/results’ are remembered in the tradition?”

Word by Word

• के: which (ones) / who (pl.)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• द्विहेतू: the two causes
• द्विहेतू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्वौ हेतू यस्य/द्वौ हेतू)

• षडाख्यातानि: the six (things) called/termed
• षडाख्यातानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षट् आख्यातानि)

• अधिष्ठानानि: bases, supports
• अधिष्ठानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• षडंगानि: the six limbs/parts
• षडंगानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षट् अङ्गानि)

• कौ: which two / who two
• कौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• पाकौ: the two pākas (cookings/ripenings)
• पाकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• स्मृतौ: are remembered/are said
• स्मृतौ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛta (कृदन्त; √smṛ स्मरणे)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

The King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied frame) / within-story interlocutors (kṣatriya–brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly or assembly setting: a questioner respectfully interrogates a learned brāhmaṇa about the inner mechanics of dāna—lists and categories implied, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a calm didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• dvihētu (two causes)
• ṣaḍadhiṣṭhāna (six foundations)
• ṣaḍaṅga (six limbs)
• dvau pākau (two results)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not random; it has causes, foundations, limbs, and outcomes that should be understood for dharmic effectiveness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is a doctrinal question about the structure of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request to enumerate formal categories of dāna: causes, foundations, limbs, and results.