Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

के द्विहेतू षडाख्यातान्यधिष्ठानानि कानि च । कानि चैव षडंगानि कौ द्वौ पाकौ तथा स्मृतौ

Transliteration

ke dvihetū ṣaḍākhyātānyadhiṣṭhānāni kāni ca | kāni caiva ṣaḍaṃgāni kau dvau pākau tathā smṛtau

Translation

「布施（ダーナ）の二つの因とは何か。宣説される六つの基盤とは何か。さらに六つの肢分とは何か。伝統に記される二つの『成熟／果報』とは何であるか。」

Word by Word

• के: which (ones) / who (pl.)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• द्विहेतू: the two causes
• द्विहेतू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्वौ हेतू यस्य/द्वौ हेतू)

• षडाख्यातानि: the six (things) called/termed
• षडाख्यातानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षट् आख्यातानि)

• अधिष्ठानानि: bases, supports
• अधिष्ठानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• षडंगानि: the six limbs/parts
• षडंगानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षट् अङ्गानि)

• कौ: which two / who two
• कौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• पाकौ: the two pākas (cookings/ripenings)
• पाकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• स्मृतौ: are remembered/are said
• स्मृतौ: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛta (कृदन्त; √smṛ स्मरणे)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

The King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied frame) / within-story interlocutors (kṣatriya–brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly or assembly setting: a questioner respectfully interrogates a learned brāhmaṇa about the inner mechanics of dāna—lists and categories implied, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a calm didactic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• dvihētu (two causes)
• ṣaḍadhiṣṭhāna (six foundations)
• ṣaḍaṅga (six limbs)
• dvau pākau (two results)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna is not random; it has causes, foundations, limbs, and outcomes that should be understood for dharmic effectiveness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse is a doctrinal question about the structure of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request to enumerate formal categories of dāna: causes, foundations, limbs, and results.