Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

न्यायोपार्जितवित्तेन दशमांशेन धीमता । कर्तव्यो विनियोगश्च ईशप्रीत्यर्थहेतवे

Transliteration

nyāyopārjitavittena daśamāṃśena dhīmatā | kartavyo viniyogaśca īśaprītyarthahetave

Translation

ന്യായമായി സമ്പാദിച്ച ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ബുദ്ധിമാൻ ദശാംശം വേർതിരിച്ച് വിധിപൂർവ്വം വിനിയോഗിക്കണം; അത് ഈശ്വരപ്രീതിക്കുള്ള കാരണവും ലക്ഷ്യവും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• न्याय: by justice; lawfully
• न्याय: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• उपार्जित: earned; acquired
• उपार्जित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप+अर्ज् (धातु) + उपार्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• वित्तेन: with wealth earned lawfully
• वित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: न्यायेन उपार्जितं वित्तं (न्यायोपार्जितवित्त)

• दशमांशेन: with a tenth portion
• दशमांशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशमांश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः: दशमः अंशः (tenth part)

• धीमता: by the wise (person)
• धीमता: Kartr-sahacarya (Agent-associated/कर्तृसहचर्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्तृ/अधिकारिणः)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done; should be performed
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कर्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (विनियोगः)

• विनियोगः: allocation; proper application (of funds)
• विनियोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• ईश: of the Lord (Īśa)
• ईश: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• प्रीति: of pleasure; satisfaction
• प्रीति: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• अर्थ: for the sake/purpose
• अर्थ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• हेतवे: for the cause/purpose of pleasing the Lord
• हेतवे: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः: ईश-प्रीति-अर्थ-हेतु (purpose-cause for pleasing the Lord)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Daityas/Asuras and by extension all vratins

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: instruction that the wise should dedicate a tenth of righteously earned wealth to please the Lord, as a purposeful allocation (vinīyoga).

Characters & Entities

• Īśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earn wealth through righteous means and dedicate a prescribed share in sacred giving as an act of devotion to Īśa (Śiva).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kedārakhaṇḍa, associated with Kedāra/Kedārnāth sacred geography and Śiva’s tīrtha-mahātmya in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daśamāṁśa—setting aside one-tenth of righteously earned wealth for proper religious allocation (viniyoga), i.e., charitable/sacred expenditure aimed at pleasing Śiva.