Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

दरिद्रा व्याधिता मूर्खाः परप्रेष्यकराः सदा । अदत्तदानाज्जायंते दुःखस्यैव हि भाजनाः

Transliteration

daridrā vyādhitā mūrkhāḥ parapreṣyakarāḥ sadā | adattadānājjāyaṃte duḥkhasyaiva hi bhājanāḥ

Translation

貧困、病、愚鈍、そして常に他人に使役されることは、施しを惜しむことから生じる。まことに彼らは苦しみのみを受ける器となる。

Word by Word

• daridrāḥ: poor
• daridrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• vyādhitāḥ: diseased
• vyādhitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vy-ā-dhā (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘vyādhita’ = रोगग्रस्त (afflicted)

• mūrkhāḥ: foolish
• mūrkhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūrkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• para-preṣya-karāḥ: doing servile work for others
• para-preṣya-karāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + preṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य प्रेष्यः) + कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासे ‘कर’ (one who does) — ‘others’ servant-doers’

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• a-datta-dānāt: from not giving
• a-datta-dānāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-datta (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचनम्; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः — ‘अदत्तं दानम्’ (undone giving / not giving)

• jāyante: are born/become
• jāyante: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; ‘be born/arise’

• duḥkhasya: of suffering
• duḥkhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)

• bhājanāḥ: vessels/receptacles
• bhājanāḥ: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘पात्र’ अर्थे

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four panels or a single composite: a poor person, a sick person, a dull student, and a servant under harsh command—each shadowed by the symbol of a closed fist (adāna).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Withholding charity bears harsh karmic results—material hardship and suffering—whereas giving supports well-being and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No location is praised in this verse; it is a general karmic teaching within the dāna section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strong implicit prescription to practice dāna to avoid the karmic fruit of adāna.