Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दमः प्रसादो माधुर्यं मृदुतेति यमा दश । शौचं स्नानं तपो दानं मौनेज्याध्ययनं व्रतम्

Transliteration

damaḥ prasādo mādhuryaṃ mṛduteti yamā daśa | śaucaṃ snānaṃ tapo dānaṃ maunejyādhyayanaṃ vratam

Translation

ദമം, പ്രസാദം, മധുരവാക്യം, മൃദുത്വം—ഇവയാണ് ദശ യമങ്ങൾ. ശൗചം, സ്നാനം, തപസ്, ദാനം, മൗനം, പൂജ, സ്വാധ്യായം, വ്രതാചരണം—ധർമ്മധാരണത്തിനുള്ള നിയമങ്ങളായി ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रसादः: serenity/clarity
• प्रसादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• माधुर्यम्: sweetness/gentleness
• माधुर्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मृदुता: softness/mildness
• मृदुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यमाः: restraints (yamas)
• यमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्/दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; यमाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शौचम्: purity/cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दानम्: charity/giving
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मौन: silence
• मौन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• इज्या: worship/sacrifice
• इज्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इज्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• अध्ययनम्: study
• अध्ययनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm forest hermitage where a teacher enumerates dharmic disciplines; a riverbank nearby suggests snāna; students hold palm-leaf manuscripts; a small altar indicates worship and vows.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is stabilized through inner restraints (yama) and daily disciplines (niyama-like practices) such as purity, study, worship, charity, and vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it presents universal dharma-principles suitable for any sacred place and pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), ijyā (worship), adhyayana (scriptural study), dāna (charity), and vrata (vowed observance) are explicitly mentioned.