Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दानं श्रद्धास्वशक्तिभ्यां लक्ष्मीपूजा विशेषतः । तत्र स्नानेन दानेन लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै विशेषतः

Transliteration

dānaṃ śraddhāsvaśaktibhyāṃ lakṣmīpūjā viśeṣataḥ | tatra snānena dānena lakṣmīprītyai viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Hendaklah seseorang bersedekah dengan penuh śraddhā (iman) menurut kemampuan diri, dan terutama melakukan pemujaan kepada Dewi Lakṣmī. Di tempat itu, mandi suci dan sedekah—lebih-lebih lagi—dilakukan khusus demi menyenangkan hati Lakṣmī.

Word by Word

• दानम्: gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वशक्तिभ्याम्: with one’s own capacity (as means/measure)
• स्वशक्तिभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन; ‘स्वा शक्ति’ इति कर्मधारय

• लक्ष्मीपूजा: worship of Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘लक्ष्म्याः पूजा’)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘especially’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• दानेन: by giving (charity)
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै: for Lakṣmī’s pleasure
• लक्ष्मीप्रीत्यै: Sampradana (Beneficiary/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘लक्ष्म्याः प्रीतिः’), प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanayakṣa-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After bathing, pilgrims offer gifts to brāhmaṇas/poor; a Lakṣmī shrine or icon is worshiped with lotus flowers, lamps, and kalasha. The atmosphere is auspicious and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith-filled charity within one’s means, joined with Lakṣmī worship, harmonizes prosperity with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred locale in Ayodhyā where snāna and dāna are said to be especially pleasing to Lakṣmī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna with śraddhā and within capacity; perform Lakṣmī-pūjā; combine snāna and dāna at the site for Lakṣmī’s pleasure.