Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

असत्यसंधो निद्रालुर्दातायं तामसोऽधमः । त्रिशुक्लः कृशवृत्तिश्च घृणालुः सकलेंद्रियः

Transliteration

asatyasaṃdho nidrālurdātāyaṃ tāmaso'dhamaḥ | triśuklaḥ kṛśavṛttiśca ghṛṇāluḥ sakaleṃdriyaḥ

Translation

അസത്യബന്ധത്തിൽ കുടുങ്ങി, നിദ്രാലസനായി, തമോഗുണത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയ ദാതാവ് അധമനായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അത്തരം ഒരാൾ—ത്രിവിധ ശുചിത്വത്തിന്റെ പുറംഭാവം ഉണ്ടായാലും—കൃശവൃത്തിയുള്ളവൻ, ക്രൂരൻ, ഇന്ദ്രിയാധീനൻ.

Word by Word

• असत्यसन्धः: of false agreement; deceitful
• असत्यसन्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier; of दाता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य + सन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (असत्यः सन्धिः/सन्धः यस्य/यः)

• निद्रालुः: sleepy, slothful
• निद्रालुः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निद्रा + आलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आलु-प्रत्ययान्त

• दाता: giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक; कर्तरि तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तामसः: tamasic, of darkness/ignorance
• तामसः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अधमः: lowest, vile
• अधमः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्रिशुक्लः: threefold-white (tri-white)
• त्रिशुक्लः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः शुक्लाः/शुक्लत्वानि यस्य)

• कृशवृत्तिः: of meagre conduct/livelihood
• कृशवृत्तिः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृशा वृत्तिः यस्य/यः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• घृणालुः: compassionate
• घृणालुः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृणा + आलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; आलु-प्रत्ययान्त

• सकलेन्द्रियः: having all senses intact
• सकलेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (सकलानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor with outward marks of purity (clean clothes, ritual marks) but shadowed by symbols of tamas—heavy eyelids, dark aura, grasping hands—contrasted with a compassionate ascetic; a dharma scale tilts against hypocrisy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outward purity cannot replace truthfulness, self-control, and sincerity; tamasic traits diminish the dignity of giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on moral classification of the donor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it warns against qualities that corrupt the spiritual value of dāna.