Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दानं वित्तादृतं वाचः कीर्तिधर्मौ तथा ख्युषः । परोपकरणं कायादसारात्सारमुद्धरेत्

Transliteration

dānaṃ vittādṛtaṃ vācaḥ kīrtidharmau tathā khyuṣaḥ | paropakaraṇaṃ kāyādasārātsāramuddharet

Translation

財よりは布施を、言葉よりは真実を汲み出せ。生よりは名聞とダルマを得よ。朽ちゆく身よりは精髄を抜き取れ――他者を助け、益する奉仕を。

Word by Word

• दानम्: charity; giving
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. singular, neuter; here as item to be taken)

• वित्तात्: from wealth
• वित्तात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (अपादान) एकवचनम् (Ablative singular, neuter)

• ऋतम्: truth; rightness
• ऋतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Nom./Acc. singular, neuter)

• वाचः: from speech
• वाचः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (अपादान) एकवचनम् (Ablative singular, feminine)

• कीर्तिः: fame; good repute
• कीर्तिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, feminine; item to be taken)

• धर्मः: dharma; virtue
• धर्मः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine; item to be taken)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचकः (adverb/conjunctive)

• ख्युषः: of the renowned/celebrated (khyuṣa)
• ख्युषः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्युष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम् (Genitive singular, masculine)

• परोपकरणम्: helping others; service to others
• परोपकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + उपकारण/उपकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य उपकरणम्) (Nom./Acc. singular, neuter)

• कायात्: from the body
• कायात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (अपादान) एकवचनम् (Ablative singular, masculine)

• असारात्: from the non-essence; from what is worthless
• असारात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (अपादान) एकवचनम् (Ablative singular)

• सारम्: the essence
• सारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म) एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• उद्धरेत्: should draw out; should extract
• उद्धरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (should extract/raise)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (general)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor at a river-ghāṭa offers alms to a brāhmaṇa and food to pilgrims; a scribe records truthful vows; the body is shown as a vessel used for service—carrying water, tending lamps.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Make life meaningful by converting resources—wealth, speech, and bodily effort—into dharma: charity, truth, and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; it provides dharmic ideals that underpin tīrtha-yātrā and prāyaścitta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity (dāna), truthfulness (ṛta/satya), and paropakāra (helping others) are recommended as core practices.