Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

एवं बहुविधा दोषा दुष्टपात्रप्रदानतः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सत्पात्रेषु प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

evaṃ bahuvidhā doṣā duṣṭapātrapradānataḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena satpātreṣu pradāpayet

Translation

Demikianlah, dari pemberian kepada penerima yang buruk timbul banyak macam cela. Karena itu, dengan segenap upaya hendaknya dana diberikan kepada satpātra, penerima yang layak.

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).