Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

धनिनं धनलोभेन लोभयित्वार्थमाहरेत् । तदर्थदानमित्याहुः कामदानमतः श्रृणु

Transliteration

dhaninaṃ dhanalobhena lobhayitvārthamāharet | tadarthadānamityāhuḥ kāmadānamataḥ śrṛṇu

Translation

ധനലോഭം ഉണർത്തി ധനവാനെ പ്രലോഭിപ്പിച്ച് അവനിൽ നിന്ന് സമ്പത്ത്/സാധനങ്ങൾ കൈവരിക്കുന്നതു ‘അർത്ഥദാനം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു; ഇനി ‘കാമദാനം’ കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

• धनिनम्: a wealthy person
• धनिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• धनलोभेन: by greed for wealth
• धनलोभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धनस्य लोभः)

• लोभयित्वा: having enticed
• लोभयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लुभ् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive), णिजन्त-धातु: लोभयति (to entice)

• अर्थम्: wealth, money
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आहरेत्: should bring/obtain
• आहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to the aforesaid)

• अर्थदानम्: giving of wealth (for a purpose)
• अर्थदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य दानम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle/इति-निपात)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कामदानम्: kāma-giving (motivated giving)
• कामदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कामस्य दानम्)

• अतः: therefore/now
• अतः: Kriya-vishesana (Discourse adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/तस्मात्-अर्थे adverb: ‘therefore/now’)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A persuasive intermediary flatters a rich patron’s pride/greed to extract funds; the patron’s face shows vanity; in contrast, a dharmic figure observes with disapproval, indicating moral tension.

Characters & Entities

• Wealthy person (dhanin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all giving is spiritually equal; charity can be driven by profit-seeking and persuasion rather than pure dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is ethical analysis of motives behind giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A conceptual instruction: identify and distinguish gain-based giving (artha-dāna) from other forms.