Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

एवं बहुविधा दोषा दुष्टपात्रप्रदानतः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सत्पात्रेषु प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

evaṃ bahuvidhā doṣā duṣṭapātrapradānataḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena satpātreṣu pradāpayet

Translation

Ainsi naissent maintes sortes de fautes lorsqu’on donne à un réceptacle indigne. C’est pourquoi, de tout son effort, qu’on donne aux réceptacles dignes.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus)

• बहुविधाः: many kinds of
• बहुविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-विध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दोषाः इति पुंलिङ्गे), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• दोषाः: faults, evils
• दोषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता/विषय

• दुष्टपात्रप्रदानतः: because of giving to an unworthy recipient
• दुष्टपात्रप्रदानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दुष्ट-पात्र-प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक; समास) + तः (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from/because of'; हेतुवाचक

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Kriya-vishesana (Inference marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम; तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्; निष्कर्षवाचक (therefore)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व-प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्; क्रियाविशेषण (with all effort)

• सत्पात्रेषु: among worthy recipients
• सत्पात्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; अधिकरण (in/among worthy recipients)

• प्रदापयेत्: should cause to be given / should give (properly)
• प्रदापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक (Causative), विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha/Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clear instructional scene: a pilgrim respectfully offers food/cloth/cowrie coins to a serene satpātra brāhmaṇa/ascetic; behind them, other pilgrims queue; the unworthy recipient is absent, indicating corrected conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be guided by discernment; the giver is responsible for aligning dāna with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred geography, where tīrtha-dāna is treated as a high-stakes dharma act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make every effort to give specifically to satpātras (worthy recipients).