Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

न्यायेन दुर्लभं द्रव्यं देशे कालेपि वा पुनः । दानार्हौ देशकालौ तौ स्यातां श्रेष्ठौ न चान्यथा

Transliteration

nyāyena durlabhaṃ dravyaṃ deśe kālepi vā punaḥ | dānārhau deśakālau tau syātāṃ śreṣṭhau na cānyathā

Translation

Wealth that is hard to obtain by lawful means—whether because of place or time—when given, makes that very place and that very time truly most excellent for charity, and not otherwise.

Word by Word

• nyāyena: by rightful means
• nyāyena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; Instrumental ‘by justice/right means’

• durlabham: hard-to-obtain
• durlabham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘hard to obtain’ qualifying dravyam

• dravyam: wealth, substance
• dravyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dravya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘substance/wealth’

• deśe: in a place
• deśe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative ‘in a place’

• kāle: in time
• kāle: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative ‘in time’

• api: also
• api: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/even’

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक ‘or’

• punaḥ: again, moreover
• punaḥ: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनः-शब्द (again/further/moreover)

• dāna-arhau: worthy for giving
• dāna-arhau: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘worthy of donation’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; qualifying deśa-kālau

• deśa-kālau: place and time
• deśa-kālau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘place and time’

• tau: those two
• tau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; pronoun ‘those two’

• syātām: should be
• syātām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; ‘may/should be’

• śreṣṭhau: excellent, best
• śreṣṭhau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; predicate adjective ‘excellent/best’

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• ca: and/nor
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘and’ (often with na…ca = ‘nor’)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A drought/lean-season setting: a donor gives a hard-earned portion; the environment subtly brightens, symbolizing that the place-time becomes sanctified by charity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes especially meritorious when lawful resources are scarce—difficulty in time/place elevates the act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified; the verse speaks of ‘place and time’ as conditions for heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It recommends dāna particularly when rightful wealth is difficult to procure due to circumstances of time and place.