Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इति ते गदितौ राजन्द्वौ हेतू श्रूयतामतः । अधिष्ठानानि वक्ष्यामि षडेव श्रृणु तान्यपि

Transliteration

iti te gaditau rājandvau hetū śrūyatāmataḥ | adhiṣṭhānāni vakṣyāmi ṣaḍeva śrṛṇu tānyapi

Translation

Thus, O King, the two motives have been explained to you. Now listen further: I shall declare the six bases that drive charitable giving—hear those as well.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यवसानबोधक-अव्यय (quotative/thus)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) वा चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• गदितौ: (have been) told
• गदितौ: Karta (Predicate adjective/प्रथमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त, √गद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; भूतकृदन्त (spoken/told)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक

• हेतू: reasons/causes
• हेतू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (let it be heard)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• अधिष्ठानानि: bases/grounds
• अधिष्ठानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed/only)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादबोधक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-teacher addresses a seated king in a court or hermitage; behind them, a palm-leaf manuscript shows headings ‘two motives’ and ‘six bases’; attendants listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• King (Rājan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be understood not only by outcomes but by its inner bases and motivations, which determine its dharmic quality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on general dharma-śāstric teaching about dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching sequence is prescribed: after motives, the text proceeds to enumerate the six bases of dāna.