Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

तस्मादिदं त्वहमपिब्रवीमि सुरसत्तमाः । नास्ति दानसमं किंचित्सत्यं सारस्वतो जगौ

Transliteration

tasmādidaṃ tvahamapibravīmi surasattamāḥ | nāsti dānasamaṃ kiṃcitsatyaṃ sārasvato jagau

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദേവശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഞാനും ഇതു പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു—ദാനത്തിന് തുല്യമായതു ഒന്നുമില്ല. ഇത് സത്യം; ഇങ്ങനെ സാരസ്വതൻ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्—अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablatival adverbial use); सर्वनाम-रूपम्, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अर्थे ‘therefore/from that’

• इदम्: this (statement/thing)
• इदम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• ब्रवीमि: I say/speak
• ब्रवीमि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरसत्तमाः: O best of the gods
• सुरसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense) ‘best among gods’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्ति: there is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दानसमम्: equal to charity
• दानसमम्: Karma (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दानस्य समम्’ (equal to giving)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karta (Subject of ‘asti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक ‘anything’

• सत्यम्: truth; (it is) true
• सत्यम्: Karma (Quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वाक्ये उद्धृत-वचनरूपेण

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata
• सारस्वतः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘Sārasvata (a sage)’

• जगौ: said/spoke
• जगौ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator within the dialogue (immediately attributing the maxim to Sārasvata)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devas / divine assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker proclaims the supremacy of charity before an assembly of devas; a calm, luminous sabhā atmosphere with attentive listeners.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Sura (gods)
• Dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity (dāna) is presented as the foremost spiritual act, surpassing other merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse offers a universal dharma-teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is general: practice dāna, as it is declared unequalled in producing merit.