Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अष्टोत्तमानि चत्वारि मध्यमानि विधानतः । कानीयसानि शेषाणि त्रिविधत्वमिदं विदुः

Transliteration

aṣṭottamāni catvāri madhyamāni vidhānataḥ | kānīyasāni śeṣāṇi trividhatvamidaṃ viduḥ

Translation

Selon la règle, huit sont prescrits comme « excellents », quatre comme « moyens » ; le reste est « inférieur ». Ainsi les sages comprennent cette gradation en trois degrés.

Word by Word

• अष्ट: eight
• अष्ट: Viśeṣaṇa (Numerical qualifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; (समासपूर्वपद) ‘eight’

• उत्तमानि: the superior (ones)
• उत्तमानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘best/superior (ones)’

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• मध्यमानि: the middling (ones)
• मध्यमानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘middle/medium (ones)’

• विधानतः: according to prescription
• विधानतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त/adverb): ‘according to rule/prescription’

• कानीयसानि: the inferior (ones)
• कानीयसानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कनीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; comparative)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘smaller/inferior (ones)’

• शेषाणि: the remaining (ones)
• शेषाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘remaining’

• त्रिविधत्वम्: threefoldness
• त्रिविधत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविधत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative qualifier/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they know’

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of three tiers: top tier with icons of eight ‘excellent’ gifts, middle with four ‘middling’, bottom with assorted ‘lesser’; a teacher points to the tiers while donors contemplate.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all gifts are equal in dharmic weight; scripture grades charity by its substance and impact.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A formal three-tier classification of gifts: excellent (8), middling (4), and the remainder as lesser.