Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

उपानहप्रदा यानैर्वितृषाः पूर्तधर्मिणः । विमानैर्यानदा यांति तथा शय्यासनप्रदाः

Transliteration

upānahapradā yānairvitṛṣāḥ pūrtadharmiṇaḥ | vimānairyānadā yāṃti tathā śayyāsanapradāḥ

Translation

പാദുക ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവർ പൂർത്തധർമ്മത്തിൽ നിഷ്ഠരായി വാഹനങ്ങളിൽ ഗമിച്ച് ദാഹരഹിതരായിരിക്കും. വാഹനദാതാക്കൾ വിമാനങ്ങളിൽ ഗമിക്കും; അതുപോലെ ശയ്യയും ആസനവും ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവരും ശുഭഗതി പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• upānahapradāḥ: givers of footwear
• upānahapradāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upānaha (प्रातिपदिक) + pradā (प्रातिपदिक, दा-धातुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; उपानह-प्रदाः = उपानहां प्रददति इति (उपानहदानकर्तारः)

• yānaiḥ: by/with vehicles
• yānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• vitṛṣāḥ: free from thirst
• vitṛṣāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-tṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (उपानहप्रदाः इत्यस्य)

• pūrta-dharmiṇaḥ: performers of public meritorious works
• pūrta-dharmiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrta (प्रातिपदिक) + dharmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; पूर्तधर्मिणः = पूर्तधर्मयुक्ताः/पूर्तधर्मपालकाः

• vimānaiḥ: by/with aerial cars
• vimānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• yāna-dāḥ: givers of vehicles
• yāna-dāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक, दा-धातुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; यानदाः = यानं ददति इति

• yānti: go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha/Avyaya (Modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: 'likewise')

• śayyā-āsana-pradāḥ: givers of beds and seats
• śayyā-āsana-pradāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śayyā (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + pradā (प्रातिपदिक, दा-धातुज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; शय्या-आसनयोः प्रदाः = शय्यां च आसनं च ददति इति

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharmic donor places sandals at a pilgrim’s feet; nearby a rest-house offers beds and seats; in the background a luminous vimāna awaits the vehicle-donor, suggesting post-mortem reward.

Characters & Entities

• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity that eases others’ travel and comfort becomes one’s own ease and elevated passage beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the emphasis is on pūrta-dharma (public-benefit charity) rather than a pilgrimage place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna of footwear, vehicles, beds, and seats is praised as a meritorious practice.