Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ततो दत्तं हुतं तेषामस्माकमुपतिष्ठति । यदुच्छिष्टं नरैर्दत्तं तद्वृथा जायतेऽखिलम्

Transliteration

tato dattaṃ hutaṃ teṣāmasmākamupatiṣṭhati | yaducchiṣṭaṃ narairdattaṃ tadvṛthā jāyate'khilam

Translation

मग त्यांचे दान व होमात अर्पण केलेले खरोखर आमच्यापर्यंत पोहोचते; परंतु उच्छिष्ट/अशुद्ध मनुष्यांनी दिलेले सर्व काही पूर्णतः निष्फळ ठरते।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: ‘then/therefore’)

• दत्तम्: what is given (gift)
• दत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हुतम्: what is offered in fire (oblation)
• हुतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु) → हुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle used substantively); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्माकम्: to us/of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपतिष्ठति: accrues/comes to (is available)
• उपतिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• उच्छिष्टम्: leftover/impure (remnant)
• उच्छिष्टम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘दत्तम्’)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दत्तम्: given (gift)
• दत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘in vain’)

• जायते: becomes/turns out
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अखिलम्: entirely/all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तत्’)

Speaker

The Devas (collectively), continuing their plea/argument (contextual deduction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic divine assembly: gods indicate that offerings and oblations reach them when humans are purified; impure offerings are shown as rejected/ineffective, fading into smoke without reaching the divine realm.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• dāna
• homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and right condition of the giver are essential; otherwise even large offerings lose spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the wider Śivarātri/Kali-age purification narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna and homa are referenced, with an insistence on avoiding ‘ucchiṣṭa’ (impure/tainted) giving.