Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

बोधयंति च यावंतो देहीति कृपणं जनाः । अवस्थेयमदानस्य मा भूदेवं भवानपि

Transliteration

bodhayaṃti ca yāvaṃto dehīti kṛpaṇaṃ janāḥ | avastheyamadānasya mā bhūdevaṃ bhavānapi

Translation

Quand bien même nombreux seraient ceux qui reprennent l’avare en disant : «Donne !», l’opprobre de ne pas donner demeure. Que pareille destinée ne soit pas la tienne.

Word by Word

• bodhayanti: they instruct/advise
• bodhayanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural); णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) — ‘cause to know/advise’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yāvantaḥ: as many as
• yāvantaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (quantifying adjective)

• dehi: give!
• dehi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; धातु ‘दा’ — ‘give’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• kṛpaṇam: the miser
• kṛpaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्; कर्मपद (object)

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्

• avastheyam: despicable
• avastheyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-sthā (धातु) + ya (कृत्)
• Form: भाव्य/अर्ह्य-प्रत्यय (यत्/य) कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘अवस्थेय’ = अवज्ञेय/तिरस्करणीय (to be despised)

• adānasya: of non-giving
• adānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचनम्; ‘अदान’ = न दानम् (non-giving)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle), लोट्/विधिलिङ्/लुङ् इत्यादौ सह

• bhūt: let it be
• bhūt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; ‘भू’ — ‘become/be’

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A miserly householder is surrounded by elders and supplicants urging him to give; his clenched fist contrasts with a radiant alms-bowl and the shadow of ‘disgrace’ behind him.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Miserliness brings social and spiritual disgrace; one should adopt dāna as a dharmic habit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the teaching is general dharma supporting merit-making practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription to practice dāna (charity) and avoid adāna (withholding).