Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अभिगम्योत्तमं दानं स्मृतमाहूय मध्यमम् । याच्यमानं कनीयः स्याद्देहि देहीति चाधमम्

Transliteration

abhigamyottamaṃ dānaṃ smṛtamāhūya madhyamam | yācyamānaṃ kanīyaḥ syāddehi dehīti cādhamam

Translation

La charité donnée en s’approchant soi-même est tenue pour la plus haute; celle donnée après invitation est moyenne. Celle donnée seulement lorsqu’on la demande est moindre; et celle arrachée par des «Donne, donne !» répétés est la plus vile.

Word by Word

• अभिगम्य: having approached
• अभिगम्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: गम्, उपसर्ग: अभि

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

• दानम्: gift
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्मृ धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (is said/considered)

• आहूय: having called (invited)
• आहूय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), धातु: ह्वे, उपसर्ग: आ

• मध्यमम्: middling, medium
• मध्यमम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

• याच्यमानम्: (gift) being requested
• याच्यमानम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याच्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; याच् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/मान-प्रत्यय, present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘being asked/begged for’

• कनीयः: inferior, lesser
• कनीयः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कनीयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देहि: give!
• देहि: Kriya (Quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देहि: give!
• देहि: Kriya (Quoted speech)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

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

• अधमम्: lowest, base
• अधमम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दानम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel narrative: (1) donor walking to offer alms; (2) donor giving after being invited; (3) donor giving to a petitioner; (4) a pushy demander repeating ‘dehi dehi’ while donor looks distressed—illustrating ethical decline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purity and initiative behind giving matters: the more voluntary and respectful the charity, the higher its spiritual value.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse is a normative dharma teaching within the Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A graded guideline for dāna: best is proactive giving; next is giving upon invitation; lower is giving only when asked; lowest is giving under persistent demand.