Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

नियमस्थेन सा देया स्वर्गमानन्त्यमिच्छता । असमर्थाय ये दद्युर्विष्णुलोके प्रयान्ति ते

Transliteration

niyamasthena sā deyā svargamānantyamicchatā | asamarthāya ye dadyurviṣṇuloke prayānti te

Translation

നിയമാചരണത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായി സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിന്റെ അനന്തഫലം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ ആ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം. അസമർത്ഥനായ ദീനനു ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ വിഷ്ണുലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• niyama-sthena: by one observing vows/discipline
• niyama-sthena: Karta (Agent; by whom)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyama (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √sthā (धातु) ‘standing/abiding’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘नियमस्थ’ = नियमपालक (one abiding by observances)

• sā: that (she/it)
• sā: Karma (Object; the cow/gift)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• deyā: should be given
• deyā: Vidhi (Injunction predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dā (धातु) → deya (कृदन्त; विधेय/gerundive)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तव्यता (to be given)

• svarga-mānantyam: endless heaven
• svarga-mānantyam: Karma (Object of desire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + ānantya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• icchatā: by (one) desiring
• icchatā: Karta (Agent; ‘by one who desires’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √iṣ (धातु) → icchat (कृदन्त; शतृ-प्रत्यय present participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• a-samarthāya: to an incapable/poor person
• a-samarthāya: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• dadyuḥ: would give / should give
• dadyuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• viṣṇu-loke: in Viṣṇu’s world
• viṣṇu-loke: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• prayānti: go, attain
• prayānti: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject; resumptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, within Revā Khaṇḍa narration to the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmanteśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined donor, modestly dressed, performs saṅkalpa and offers the adorned cow to a poor or struggling brāhmaṇa household, with the temple in the background; the mood is quiet and sincere.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed with disciplined conduct and compassion for the helpless is a direct cause of exalted afterlife merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage belongs to the Hanūmanteśvara Tīrtha glorification in Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse specifically emphasizes dāna-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To give the prescribed gift while observing niyama (vowed discipline), especially to an asamartha (needy/helpless recipient).