Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दीयतां विप्रवृत्तिं च धर्मिष्ठोऽसि धरातले । ज्ञायते तव द्दत्ता स्यान्मदत्ता नैव नैव च

Transliteration

dīyatāṃ vipravṛttiṃ ca dharmiṣṭho'si dharātale | jñāyate tava ddattā syānmadattā naiva naiva ca

Translation

“ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു ജീവികയും ദയചെയ്യുക; നിങ്ങൾ ഭൂമിയിൽ ധർമ്മനിഷ്ഠൻ. ഇത് നിങ്ങളുടെ ദാനമെന്നു അറിയപ്പെടണം— എന്റെ ദാനമെന്നു ഒരിക്കലും അല്ല, അല്ല തന്നെ।”

Word by Word

• दीयताम्: let (it) be given
• दीयताम्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let it be given’

• विप्र-वृत्तिम्: maintenance for a brāhmaṇa
• विप्र-वृत्तिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘of a brāhmaṇa’ + ‘livelihood/maintenance’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• धर्मिष्ठः: most righteous
• धर्मिष्ठः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriyā (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धरातले: on the earth
• धरातले: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• ज्ञायते: is known
• ज्ञायते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is known/appears’

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘given’ (understood with वृत्तिः)

• स्यात्: would be/might be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मदत्ता: given by me
• मदत्ता: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दत्ता (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘by me’/‘my’ + ‘given’); विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (petitioning the king; inferred)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful adviser/petitioner urges the king to grant brāhmaṇas a livelihood; the speaker gestures in refusal of personal credit, indicating humility and the desire that the king’s name be associated with the gift.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity becomes dharma when a ruler personally supports the learned and accepts responsibility for giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna in the form of vipra-vṛtti (ongoing support) is requested.