Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

महादानं हि गृह्णानो ब्राह्मणः स्वं शुभं हि यत् । ददाति दातुर्दाता च अशुभं यच्छति स्वकम्

Transliteration

mahādānaṃ hi gṛhṇāno brāhmaṇaḥ svaṃ śubhaṃ hi yat | dadāti dāturdātā ca aśubhaṃ yacchati svakam

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ മഹാദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുമ്പോൾ തന്റെ ശുഭപുണ്യം തന്നെയെന്നപോലെ വിട്ടുകൊടുക്കുന്നു; ദാതാവ് തന്റെ അശുഭം ഗ്രഹീതാവിലേക്കു മാറ്റിവെക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• महादानम्: a great gift
• महादानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; कर्म

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (emphasis)

• गृह्णानः: accepting
• गृह्णानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शानच्/Present middle participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदी-भावः

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (शुभम्)

• शुभम्: merit, auspiciousness
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; कर्म

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः (relative pronoun)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• दातुः: of the giver
• दातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• दाता: the giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• अशुभम्: demerit, inauspiciousness
• अशुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; कर्म

• यच्छति: bestows, gives
• यच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; 'यच्छति' (यम् धातोः)

• स्वकम्: his own
• स्वकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (अशुभम्)

Speaker

Hārīta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dhīmat (wise interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic depiction of merit and impurity as subtle auras: a giver offering lavish gifts; the recipient’s bright aura thinning while a darker haze passes from giver to receiver—rendered allegorically.

Characters & Entities

• Hārīta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Giving and receiving are karmically consequential; large gifts can shift merit and demerit between parties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the emphasis is on dana-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It frames a cautionary principle for accepting mahā-dāna, implying discernment in pratigraha.