Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

देशे काले च विधिना तदानंत्याय कल्पते । भूप्रदो मण्डलाधीशः सर्वत्र सुखितोऽन्नदः

Transliteration

deśe kāle ca vidhinā tadānaṃtyāya kalpate | bhūprado maṇḍalādhīśaḥ sarvatra sukhito'nnadaḥ

Translation

Quand le don est accompli selon la règle, en tenant compte du lieu et du temps, son fruit devient inépuisable. Celui qui donne la terre devient maître de provinces ; celui qui donne la nourriture demeure heureux partout.

Word by Word

• देशे: in (proper) place
• देशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular

• काले: at (proper) time
• काले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय — conjunction

• विधिना: by proper procedure
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — instrumental singular

• तत्: that (act)
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — demonstrative ‘that’; refers to the act (of giving)

• आनन्त्याय: for endlessness/infinite merit
• आनन्त्याय: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन — dative singular (purpose)

• कल्पते: becomes (conducive)
• कल्पते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — becomes/is fit/amounts to

• भू-प्रदः: the giver of land
• भू-प्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; समासः: भूप्रद = भूमेः प्रदाता (giver of land)

• मण्डल-अधीशः: (becomes) a regional lord
• मण्डल-अधीशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; समासः: मण्डलाधीश = मण्डलस्य अधीशः (lord of a region)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Deśa (Scope/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय — adverb ‘everywhere’

• सुखितः: happy
• सुखितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past participial adjective)

• अन्न-दः: giver of food
• अन्न-दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; समासः: अन्नद = अन्नस्य दाता (giver of food)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two vignettes: a formal land-gift ceremony with boundary markers and witnesses; and a public feeding scene where the donor serves food to pilgrims and ascetics, radiating contentment.

Characters & Entities

• Bhū-dāna (land gift)
• Anna-dāna (food gift)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly timed and rightly placed charity yields ‘endless’ merit; different gifts confer corresponding fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified; the teaching is general dharma suitable for pilgrims in sacred regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make dāna observing deśa, kāla, and vidhi; special fruits are stated for land-gift and food-gift.