Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

अत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि वसिष्ठोक्तमनुत्तमम् । दिलीपाय महाराज्ञे दानपात्रवि वित्सवे

Transliteration

atretihāsaṃ vakṣyāmi vasiṣṭhoktamanuttamam | dilīpāya mahārājñe dānapātravi vitsave

Translation

Ici je vais rapporter un récit ancien d’une excellence suprême, prononcé par Vasiṣṭha au Mahārāja Dilīpa, qui désirait connaître en vérité les critères du réceptacle digne pour le dāna.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here)

• इतिहासम्: a legend/history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• वसिष्ठ: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासे पूर्वपद (in compound); मूलतः प्रथमा-एकवचन (Nominative Singular) as name-stem

• उक्तम्: spoken/said
• उक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom./Acc. Sg.)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वसिष्ठोक्तम्: spoken by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (वच् धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: by Vasiṣṭha); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (Acc. Sg.)

• दिलीपाय: to Dilīpa
• दिलीपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाराज्ञे: to the great king
• महाराज्ञे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दान: gift, donation
• दान: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound); मूलतः प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• पात्र: recipient/vessel
• पात्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound); मूलतः प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• वित्सवे: in the festival/occasion
• वित्सवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दानपात्रवित्सवे: on the occasion concerning gifts and worthy recipients
• दानपात्रवित्सवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative; 'festival/occasion concerning donation and recipients'); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (Loc. Sg.)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely a Purāṇic narrator introducing Vasiṣṭha’s teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience / pilgrims; immediately oriented toward Dilīpa as in-story listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage narrator announces an ancient exemplary account: Vasiṣṭha instructing King Dilīpa on the true marks of a worthy recipient for gifts, set against a sacred-journey ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Dilīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna becomes truly meritorious when guided by discernment—knowing who is a worthy recipient (pātra).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Setukhaṇḍa (Setu/Rāmeśvaram region), where dharma practices like dāna are framed within sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An introduction to the topic of dāna-pātra (how to choose the proper recipient for charity).