Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

देशेकाले च पात्रे च शुद्धेन मनसा तथा । न्यायार्जितं च यो दद्याद्यौवने स तदश्नुते

Transliteration

deśekāle ca pātre ca śuddhena manasā tathā | nyāyārjitaṃ ca yo dadyādyauvane sa tadaśnute

Translation

ਜੋ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਮਨ ਨਾਲ, ਦੇਸ਼-ਕਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਯੋਗ ਪਾਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ, ਨਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਕਮਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਦਾਨ ਕਰੇ—ਉਹ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਫਲ ਜਵਾਨੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੀ ਭੋਗਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• deśe: in (proper) place
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kāle: at (proper) time
• kāle: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pātre: in/with a (fit) recipient
• pātre: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• śuddhena: with pure
• śuddhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मनसः)

• manasā: mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय

• nyāya-arjitam: rightfully acquired (wealth)
• nyāya-arjitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + arjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √arj ‘अर्ज्’ क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (न्यायेन अर्जितम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give / would give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• yauvane: in youth
• yauvane: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tat: that (result)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aśnute: enjoys/attains
• aśnute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धा॒तु; अश् भक्षणे/उपभोगे)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Nārada (general dharma instruction within narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youthful householder offers alms with serene face to a worthy ascetic near a sacred setting; symbols of deśa (temple), kāla (sun/moon), and pātra (recipient) appear as guiding motifs.

Characters & Entities

• Deśa (place)
• Kāla (time)
• Pātra (worthy recipient)
• Nyāyārjita (righteously earned wealth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper charity is contextual (place-time-recipient), pure in intention, and sourced from righteous earning—yielding swift and visible benefit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse provides universal criteria applicable to giving at any sacred site or occasion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give with śuddha-manas, using nyāyārjita wealth, and follow deśa-kāla-pātra suitability.