Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नास्ति भूमिसमं दानं नास्ति गंगासमा सरित् । नास्ति सत्यात्परो धर्मो नान्यो देवो महेश्वरात्

Transliteration

nāsti bhūmisamaṃ dānaṃ nāsti gaṃgāsamā sarit | nāsti satyātparo dharmo nānyo devo maheśvarāt

Translation

ഭൂമിദാനത്തിനെ തുല്യമായ ദാനം ഇല്ല, ഗംഗയെ തുല്യമായ നദി ഇല്ല; സത്യത്തേക്കാൾ ഉയർന്ന ധർമ്മം ഇല്ല, മഹേശ്വരനെ ഒഴികെ മറ്റൊരു ദേവനും ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भूमि-समम्: equal to land (like land)
• भूमि-समम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक); भूमि-सम (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (dānam)

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• गङ्गा-समाः: equal to the Ganga
• गङ्गा-समाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक); गङ्गा-सम (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (sarit)

• सरित्: river
• सरित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यात्: than truth, from truth
• सत्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• परः: higher, superior
• परः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (dharmaḥ)

• धर्मः: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक

• अन्यः: other
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (devaḥ)

• देवः: god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरात्: than Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरात्: Apadana (Comparison-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (as supreme river-tīrtha) / Prabhāsa (as teaching context)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold emblematic composition: a donor offering land (scroll/field) to a temple; Gaṅgā as a goddess-river flowing; Satya personified as a radiant figure holding a mirror or scale; Maheśvara enthroned as Somnātha/Śiva with trident and crescent moon, unifying the tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth is the highest dharma, land-gift is the foremost charity, and devotion recognizes Maheśvara as supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though universal in tone, it is taught within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, tying dharma and Śiva-bhakti to Prabhāsa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhūmi-dāna (donation of land) is praised as the highest form of dāna.