Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

साम दानं च भेदश्च चतुर्थो दंड एव च । नीतौ क्रमात्प्रयोज्याश्च देशकालविशेषतः

Transliteration

sāma dānaṃ ca bhedaśca caturtho daṃḍa eva ca | nītau kramātprayojyāśca deśakālaviśeṣataḥ

Translation

«Sāma (conciliation), dāna (dons), bheda (division) et, quatrièmement, daṇḍa (châtiment ou force) : en matière de politique, on doit les employer successivement, selon les particularités du lieu et du temps.»

Word by Word

• साम: conciliation
• साम: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दानम्: gift, bribery
• दानम्: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भेदः: division, dissension
• भेदः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• चतुर्थः: the fourth
• चतुर्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दण्डः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• दण्डः: punishment, force
• दण्डः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• नीतौ: in policy/statecraft
• नीतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्रमात्: in order, sequentially
• क्रमात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तृतीया/पञ्चमी-रूपेण प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘क्रमेण’ अर्थे

• प्रयोज्याः: are to be applied
• प्रयोज्याः: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-युज् (धातु) + य (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: विधेय-विशेषणरूप कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (साम-दान-भेद-दण्डाः) इति बहुवचनस्य विधेयम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• देशकालविशेषतः: according to place and time distinctions
• देशकालविशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘विशेषतः’; समासः—देशकालयोः विशेषः; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suraśreṣṭha (deva leadership)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau showing four symbolic panels: sāma (open-handed dialogue), dāna (offering gifts), bheda (separating conspirators), daṇḍa (restrained force), with Bṛhaspati indicating ‘sequence’ and ‘time-place’ considerations.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action is contextual: dharma-informed strategy proceeds gradually, choosing the least harmful measure suited to circumstances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a doctrinal teaching on nīti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.