Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

सुरूपाश्च सदाचाराः सर्वधर्मेषु निष्ठिताः । दानधर्म रताः सर्वे अन्नदा जलदा द्विजाः

Transliteration

surūpāśca sadācārāḥ sarvadharmeṣu niṣṭhitāḥ | dānadharma ratāḥ sarve annadā jaladā dvijāḥ

Translation

അവർ സുന്ദരരൂപികളും സദാചാരികളും സർവ്വധർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ നിഷ്ഠിതരും. എല്ലാവരും ദാനധർമ്മത്തിൽ രതർ—അന്നദാതാക്കളും ജലദാതാക്കളുമായ ദ്വിജർ।

Word by Word

• सुरूपाः: handsome, of good form
• सुरूपाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु-रूपाः = उत्तमरूपाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सदाचाराः: people of good conduct
• सदाचाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सद्-आचाराः = उत्तमाचारयुक्ताः)

• सर्वधर्मेषु: in all dharmas/duties
• सर्वधर्मेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषु धर्मेषु)

• निष्ठिताः: firmly established
• निष्ठिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ठित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु, नि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) विशेषण

• दानधर्म: the duty of giving (charity)
• दानधर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दानस्य धर्मः)

• रताः: devoted (to)
• रताः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) विशेषण; 'दानधर्मे रताः' इति अर्थे द्वितीया-सम्बन्धः

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनामवत्

• अन्नदाः: givers of food
• अन्नदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त; √दा धातु, द-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (अन्नं ददाति इति); समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• जलदाः: givers of water
• जलदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त; √दा धातु, द-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कृदन्त-नाम (जलं ददाति इति); समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• द्विजाः: Brahmins
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narrator addressing a king within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas distribute cooked rice and cool water to travelers; a shaded rest-house (sattra) near a path, with water pots, ladles, and grateful pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity—especially offering food and water—is upheld as a central expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse praises universal dharma through dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights dāna as a religious duty, specifically annadāna (food-giving) and jaladāna (water-giving).