Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अन्नारामं च वासांसि हयप्रभृतिवाहनम् । दानानि मध्यमानीति मध्यमद्रव्यदानतः

Transliteration

annārāmaṃ ca vāsāṃsi hayaprabhṛtivāhanam | dānāni madhyamānīti madhyamadravyadānataḥ

Translation

Food and gardens, garments, and conveyances beginning with horses—these gifts are called “middling”, for they are donations of middling resources.

Word by Word

• अन्न-आरामम्: a food-garden / grain-orchard
• अन्न-आरामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: अन्नस्य आरामः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• वासांसि: garments
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हय-प्रभृति-वाहनम्: vehicles such as horses, etc.
• हय-प्रभृति-वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (हयप्रभृतीनि वाहनानि/हयादि-वाहनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मध्यमानि: middling
• मध्यमानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘दानानि’)

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

• मध्यम-द्रव्य-दानतः: by (the criterion of) giving middling materials
• मध्यम-द्रव्य-दानतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/हेतु-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास + तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय: ‘from/according to giving of middling substances’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling yet orderly charity scene: a feeding hall serving pilgrims (anna), attendants distributing folded garments (vāsāṃsi), a shaded garden (ārāma) with resting travelers, and a stable with horses/vehicles offered for service.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practical support—food, clothing, and transport—has clear merit, though it is ranked below life-sustaining infrastructure and life-saving gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

‘Middling’ gifts include food/grain, gardens, clothing, and vehicles such as horses.