Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । न दानाद्दुष्करतरं पृथिव्यामस्ति किंचन । मुने प्रत्यक्षमेवैतद्दृश्यते लोकसाक्षिकम्

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | na dānādduṣkarataraṃ pṛthivyāmasti kiṃcana | mune pratyakṣamevaitaddṛśyate lokasākṣikam

Translation

സാരസ്വതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മുനേ! ഭൂമിയിൽ ദാനത്തേക്കാൾ ദുഷ്കരമായത് ഒന്നുമില്ല. ഇത് പ്രത്യക്ഷമായി തന്നെ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു—ഇതിന് സാക്ഷി ലോകം തന്നെയാണ്.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• दानात्: than giving/charity
• दानात्: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th); एकवचन

• दुष्करतरम्: more difficult
• दुष्करतरम्: Pratishedhya (Predicate complement/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative: more difficult)

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th); एकवचन

• अस्ति: exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किञ्चन: anything
• किञ्चन: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (anything)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative); एकवचन

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly / evidently
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: directly/manifestly)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis: only/indeed)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc); एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• लोकसाक्षिकम्: witnessed by the world / publicly attested
• लोकसाक्षिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + साक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (लोकः साक्षी यस्य/लोकस्य साक्षिकम्)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sārasvata speaks with calm authority; in the foreground a donor hesitates before releasing coins/food, while a radiant aura appears the moment the hand opens—signifying the inner victory over attachment; onlookers represent ‘loka-sākṣin’ (world as witness).

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True giving is hard because it requires conquering attachment; therefore dāna is praised as a foremost discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned; the emphasis is on universal dharma regarding charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implicitly upholds dāna as a key practice, but gives no specific form, time, or recipient.