Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तथा हि मुनिभिः प्रोक्तं द्रव्यं त्रिविधमुत्तमम् । शुक्लं मध्यं च शबलमधमं गृष्णमुच्यते

Transliteration

tathā hi munibhiḥ proktaṃ dravyaṃ trividhamuttamam | śuklaṃ madhyaṃ ca śabalamadhamaṃ gṛṣṇamucyate

Translation

മുനിമാർ ഉപദേശിച്ചതുപോലെ—ധനം (അഥവാ ദാനം) ഉത്തമമായി മൂന്നു വിധം: ശുക്ലം (ശുദ്ധം), മധ്യമം, ശബലം (മിശ്രം); എന്നാൽ അധമം ‘കൃഷ്ണം’ (കലുഷിതം) എന്നു പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: said, declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘द्रव्यं’ इति विशेषण

• द्रव्यम्: wealth, property
• द्रव्यम्: Karta/Pratipādya (Topic/Subject matter)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• त्रिविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः ‘त्रयः विधाः यस्य’ (threefold)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुक्लम्: white (pure)
• शुक्लम्: Pratipādya (Predicate/प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (द्रव्यस्य) विशेषण

• मध्यम्: middle, intermediate
• मध्यम्: Pratipādya (Predicate/प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• शबलम्: variegated, mixed
• शबलम्: Pratipādya (Predicate/प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अधमम्: lowest, base
• अधमम्: Pratipādya (Predicate/प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कृष्णम्: black (impure)
• कृष्णम्: Pratipādya (Predicate/प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• उच्यते: is said, is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: sages seated in a forest āśrama explaining four ‘colors’ of wealth—white, middling, mixed, and black—symbolized by four bowls or cloths of corresponding hues.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Munayaḥ (sages)
• Dravya (wealth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and sacred works should be supported by pure means; tainted wealth is spiritually inferior.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it provides dharmic criteria relevant to founding and supporting the local sacred “sthāna.”

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance for dāna: the moral quality of the offered dravya matters; avoid ‘kṛṣṇa’ (tainted) wealth.