Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

इदं भणितवानस्मि श्लोकव्याख्यां नृप श्रृणु । यत्ते पटहविख्यातं दानं च प्रगुणीकुरु

Transliteration

idaṃ bhaṇitavānasmi ślokavyākhyāṃ nṛpa śrṛṇu | yatte paṭahavikhyātaṃ dānaṃ ca praguṇīkuru

Translation

我はかく語った。今、王よ、この偈の明らかな解釈を聴け。さらに、太鼓の触れにより公に告げられた汝のダーナ（布施）を、法にかなうよう整え、しかと備えよ。

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhaṇitavān: have spoken
• bhaṇitavān: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaṇ (धातु) + ktavatu (क्तवतु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवतु) परिप्रयोगे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि ‘उक्तवान्’

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सहायकक्रिया (auxiliary)

• śloka-vyākhyām: explanation of the verse
• śloka-vyākhyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक) + vyākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्लोकस्य व्याख्या)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• śr̥ṇu: hear, listen
• śr̥ṇu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म; दानम् इत्यस्य विशेषण-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• paṭaha-vikhyātam: proclaimed by drum
• paṭaha-vikhyātam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paṭaha (प्रातिपदिक) + vikhyāta (प्रातिपदिक/क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (पटहेन विख्यातम् = proclaimed by drum)

• dānam: gift, donation
• dānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• praguṇīkuru: prepare well, make ready
• praguṇīkuru: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √guṇ (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) + √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘प्रगुणीकुरु’ = make ready/prepare well

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged brāhmaṇa instructs a king in court; attendants prepare gifts while a drummer stands ready to proclaim the donation; the mood is formal and ethical.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes effective when it is consciously prepared and executed with dharmic seriousness, not left as a mere announcement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on dāna and its proper preparation within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To formally arrange and ready the pledged donation that has been publicly proclaimed (paṭaha-vikhyāta dāna).