Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

धनिनां दानहीनानां गार्हस्थ्याद्भिक्षुता वरा । आर्तत्राणविहीनानां जीवितान्मरणं वरम्

Transliteration

dhanināṃ dānahīnānāṃ gārhasthyādbhikṣutā varā | ārtatrāṇavihīnānāṃ jīvitānmaraṇaṃ varam

Translation

ധനവാന്മാരായിട്ടും ദാനമില്ലാത്തവർക്ക് ഗാർഹസ്ഥ്യത്തേക്കാൾ ഭിക്ഷാവൃത്തി ശ്രേഷ്ഠം. ആർത്തരെ രക്ഷിക്കാത്തവർക്ക് ജീവിക്കുന്നതിലേറെ മരണം ശ്രേയസ്.

Word by Word

• धनिनाम्: of the wealthy
• धनिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दान: charity
• दान: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• हीनानाम्: of those devoid (of)
• हीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गार्हस्थ्यात्: from householder-life
• गार्हस्थ्यात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gārhasthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भिक्षुता: mendicancy
• भिक्षुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣutā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरा: better
• वरा: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आर्त: afflicted
• आर्त: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• त्राण: protection
• त्राण: Visheshya (Head within compound/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-पूर्वपद (in compound), अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (within compound)

• विहीनानाम्: of those lacking
• विहीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जीवितात्: than life
• जीवितात्: Apadana (Ablative comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

A moral voice within the narrative (continuing admonition)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy householder sits amid granaries and ornaments while a hungry mendicant and a distressed family stand outside; the verse’s moral inversion is shown by the mendicant’s serene radiance contrasted with the miser’s dim aura.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth and life are justified by dharmic use—charity and rescue; without these, one’s social role becomes meaningless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is implicitly prescribed as the dharmic duty of the wealthy.