Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । देवेंद्रो हि महाभाग न ददाति कदाचन । कथं बलिरसौ दाता कथयस्व यथातथम्

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | deveṃdro hi mahābhāga na dadāti kadācana | kathaṃ balirasau dātā kathayasva yathātatham

Translation

Śaunaka dit : «Ô toi, comblé de grande fortune ! Devendra (Indra) ne donne jamais. Comment donc Bali est-il célébré comme un grand donateur ? Dis-le-nous exactement, tel que cela est.»

Word by Word

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवेंद्रः: Devendra (Indra)
• देवेंद्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय: देवः इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipāta (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (महान् भागः यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kāla (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (at any time/ever)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Praśna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असौ: that (man)
• असौ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; दूरवाचक सर्वनाम

• दाता: a giver
• दाता: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• कथयस्व: tell (me)
• कथयस्व: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु) (णिच् from कथ्/कथ)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (as/how)

• तथम्: so/accordingly
• तथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/in that manner)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaunaka seated among sages in a forest hermitage, palms joined in inquiry; the narrator-sage (Sūta) poised to answer; sacrificial fire and manuscripts present.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Devendra (Indra)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual inquiry tests appearances: fame and power must be examined through the lens of conduct (especially dāna and humility).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a dialogue transition within the Kedāra-khaṇḍa narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the topic introduced is dāna (giving).