Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

स्नानदानादिनिरताः सर्वदाश्च जितेंद्रियाः । वापीकूपतडागानां कर्तारश्च सहस्रशः । व्रतशीला गुणज्ञाश्च मूर्खा वेदविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

snānadānādiniratāḥ sarvadāśca jiteṃdriyāḥ | vāpīkūpataḍāgānāṃ kartāraśca sahasraśaḥ | vrataśīlā guṇajñāśca mūrkhā vedavivarjitāḥ

Translation

അവർ സ്നാനം, ദാനം മുതലായ ധർമ്മകർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ നിത്യനിരതരും എപ്പോഴും ജിതേന്ദ്രിയരുമാണ്. ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് വാപി, കൂപം, തടാകം എന്നിവ നിർമ്മിക്കുന്നവരും ആകുന്നു. അവർ വ്രതശീലരും ഗുണജ്ഞരുമെങ്കിലും, ചിലർ വേദാധ്യയനരഹിതരായതിനാൽ മൂഢരാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्नानदानादिनिरताः: engaged in bathing, giving, etc.
• स्नानदानादिनिरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त, √रम्/रमँ-रमणे, निष्ठा/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—स्नान-दान-आदि-निरत (तत्पुरुषः, ‘स्नानदानादिषु निरताः’); विशेषणम्

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• जितेन्द्रियाः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त, √जि/जि-जय॑े, निष्ठा/क्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—जितेन्द्रिय (तत्पुरुषः, ‘जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येषाम्/यैः’); विशेषणम्

• वापीकूपतडागानाम्: of wells, stepwells, and ponds
• वापीकूपतडागानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः—वापी-कूप-तडाग (द्वन्द्वः, समाहारः)

• कर्तारः: makers/builders
• कर्तारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ/डुकृञ्-करणे, तृच् प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand; in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (distributive/quantifying adverb)

• व्रतशीलाः: observant of vows
• व्रतशीलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—व्रतशील (तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयप्रायः, ‘व्रते शीलं येषाम्/व्रतशीलाः’); विशेषणम्

• गुणज्ञाः: knowers of virtues/qualities
• गुणज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त, √ज्ञा/ज्ञा-अवबोधने, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—गुणज्ञ (तत्पुरुषः, ‘गुणान् जानन्ति’); विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• मूर्खाः: foolish
• मूर्खाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वेदविवर्जिताः: devoid of the Veda
• वेदविवर्जिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त, √वृज्/वृजँ-वर्जने with वि-, निष्ठा/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—वेद-विवर्जित (तत्पुरुषः, ‘वेदेन विवर्जिताः/वेदरहिताः’); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharmic settlement at the edge of a sacred forest: ascetics and householders performing river-bathing, distributing alms, and supervising the digging of a stepwell and pond; a learned brāhmaṇa recites Veda while some pious yet unlearned donors stand respectfully, highlighting the contrast between merit and learning.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Dāna
• Vāpī
• Kūpa
• Taḍāga
• Veda
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Public welfare (waterworks), charity, and vows are praised, but enduring dharma is strengthened by Vedic knowledge and right discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports tīrtha-culture broadly through water-conservation works (wells/ponds), but does not name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It commends snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), vrata (vows), and the dharmic act of creating water sources (vāpī, kūpa, taḍāga).