Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

धर्मवापीं समासाद्य दानं दद्याद्विचक्षणः । कोटिधा वर्द्धते नित्यं ब्रह्मणो वचनं यथा

Transliteration

dharmavāpīṃ samāsādya dānaṃ dadyādvicakṣaṇaḥ | koṭidhā varddhate nityaṃ brahmaṇo vacanaṃ yathā

Translation

S’étant approché de la Dharmavāpī, le puits sacré du Dharma, le sage doit faire l’aumône. Ce don croît sans cesse d’un crore de fois, selon la parole de Brahmā.

Word by Word

• धर्मवापीम्: a dharma-well (sacred well)
• धर्मवापीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्मस्य वापी)

• समासाद्य: having approached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘समासाद्य’ = having approached

• दानम्: a gift, donation
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विचक्षणः: a discerning person
• विचक्षणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृपद (agent noun)

• कोटिधा: a crore-fold, immensely
• कोटिधा: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + धा (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner/degree)

• वर्द्धते: increases
• वर्द्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययवत् (adverb: always)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā / of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वचनम्: statement, word
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: as)

Speaker

Unspecified (tīrtha-māhātmya style instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied king (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred well with steps, shaded by trees; pilgrims and a wise donor offering alms to recipients; a subtle divine aura suggesting Brahmā’s sanction, with water shimmering as a merit-source.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavāpī
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Giving at a consecrated sacred site magnifies merit; discernment means choosing dharmic places and acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, a sacred well/tīrtha within the Dharmāraṇya tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach Dharmavāpī and perform dāna (charitable giving), said to yield crore-fold increase in merit.