Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

इयंति दत्तान्यर्थिभ्यो धनानि विविधान्यपि । इतीयत्तां परिच्छेत्तुं न शक्ता ब्रह्मकोटयः

Transliteration

iyaṃti dattānyarthibhyo dhanāni vividhānyapi | itīyattāṃ paricchettuṃ na śaktā brahmakoṭayaḥ

Translation

യാചകർക്കു ഇങ്ങനെ അനവധി വിധങ്ങളായ ധനങ്ങൾ ദാനം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ടു; അവയുടെ മുഴുവൻ പരിധി നിർണ്ണയിക്കാൻ കോടിക്കണക്കിന് ബ്രഹ്മന്മാർക്കും കഴിവില്ല।

Word by Word

• इयन्ति: so many; this much
• इयन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इयत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक विशेषणम् (दत्तानि)

• दत्तानि: given
• दत्तानि: Visheshya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (धनानि) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्/समानाधिकरणम्

• अर्थिभ्यः: to petitioners
• अर्थिभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• धनानि: wealths; riches
• धनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (धनानि)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे निपातः

• इति: thus (as)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक/उद्धरण-निपातः

• इयत्ताम्: the extent/measure
• इयत्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इयत्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• परिच्छेत्तुम्: to determine; to delimit
• परिच्छेत्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-छिद् (धातु) → परिच्छेत्तुम् (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थकः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः

• शक्ताः: able
• शक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ब्रह्मकोटयः)

• ब्रह्मकोटयः: crores of Brahmās
• ब्रह्मकोटयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणां कोटयः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual deduction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sweeping panorama of countless gift heaps extending beyond the court into a symbolic cosmic horizon; faint silhouettes of multiple Brahmās with counting beads/scrolls unable to tally the gifts.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (as a hyperbolic measure)
• Supplicants (arthins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit born of tīrtha-backed generosity is portrayed as immeasurable—beyond ordinary calculation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmītīrtha in Setukhaṇḍa, implied as the source-field enabling such boundless auspiciousness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it extols the immeasurable scale of dāna given in the sacred context.