Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आरूढपतिते चैव अन्यायोपार्जितं धनम् । वृथा ब्रह्महने दानं पतिते तस्करे तथा

Transliteration

ārūḍhapatite caiva anyāyopārjitaṃ dhanam | vṛthā brahmahane dānaṃ patite taskare tathā

Translation

Charity becomes fruitless when given to one who has fallen from right conduct, and wealth gained by injustice is itself tainted. Likewise, a gift offered to a slayer of a brāhmaṇa—or to a fallen thief—yields no sacred merit.

Word by Word

• आरूढपतिते: in (a place/person) of one who has climbed and fallen (i.e., fallen/ruined)
• आरूढपतिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरूढ (कृदन्त; रुह् धातु, क्त) + पतित (कृदन्त; पत् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); द्वन्द्व-समास (आरूढः च पतितः च)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle/emphasis)

• अन्यायोपार्जितम्: acquired unjustly
• अन्यायोपार्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + उपार्जित (कृदन्त; उप-आर्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

• ब्रह्महने: to a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्महने: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानम्: gift
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• पतिते: in/for a fallen person (outcaste)
• पतिते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; पत् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्करे: in/for a thief
• तस्करे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: on one side, a donor offers coins to a fallen man and the coins turn dark; on the other, a righteous recipient receives pure gifts that glow. A judge-like figure symbolizes nyāya, while Prabhāsa’s shrine anchors the scene.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be pure in both source (rightly earned wealth) and recipient; otherwise it becomes spiritually ineffective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, linking ethical dāna to the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction on dāna: avoid giving to gravely sinful or fallen recipients and avoid donating wealth acquired by injustice.