Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11
Devanagari script
दानपात्रमतिक्रम्य यदपात्रे प्रदीयते । तद्दत्तं गामतिक्रम्य गर्दभस्य गवाह्निकम्
Transliteration
dānapātramatikramya yadapātre pradīyate | taddattaṃ gāmatikramya gardabhasya gavāhnikam
Translation
施しの正しき器を越えて不相応の者に与えるものは、乳を与える牛を顧みず、驢馬に餌を与えるに等しい。
Word by Word
दानपात्रम्the proper recipient (vessel) of a gift
दानपात्रम्:
Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootdāna-pātra (प्रातिपदिक; दान + पात्र)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दानस्य पात्रम्)
अतिक्रम्यhaving bypassed
अतिक्रम्य:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootati√kram (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having passed over/neglected’
यत्that which
यत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)
अपात्रेin an unworthy recipient
अपात्रे:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Roota-pātra (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + पात्र)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अयोग्यपात्रे)
प्रदीयतेis given
प्रदीयते:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra√dā (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is given’
तत्that
तत्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)
दत्तम्(is) given
दत्तम्:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to ‘tat’/समानााधिकरण)
TypeVerb
Root√dā (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’
गाम्a cow
गाम्:
Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootgo (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
अतिक्रम्यhaving bypassed
अतिक्रम्य:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootati√kram (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund): ‘having passed over’
गर्दभस्यof a donkey
गर्दभस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootgardabha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
गवाह्निकम्a cow’s daily ration (given) to a donkey
गवाह्निकम्:
Upamāna (Illustrative comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootgo-āhniká (प्रातिपदिक; गो + आह्निक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गवाम् आह्निकम् = daily portion/feeding of cows)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A symbolic village scene: a cow calmly stands near a pious caretaker, while a donor mistakenly feeds a donkey; the cow’s milk pot remains empty—an allegory of misplaced charity.
Characters & Entities
D
DānapātraA
ApātraFAQs
Charity must be guided by discernment; misdirected giving wastes spiritual and social value.
None; the emphasis is ethical instruction regarding dāna.
Do not bypass the worthy recipient (pātra) to give to the unworthy (apātra).