Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तथा च सर्वदानानां निष्कामः प्राप्नुयात्फलम् । सकामोऽपि फलं चेष्टं यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्ल्लभम्

Transliteration

tathā ca sarvadānānāṃ niṣkāmaḥ prāpnuyātphalam | sakāmo'pi phalaṃ ceṣṭaṃ yadyapi syātsudurllabham

Translation

Do mesmo modo, quem pratica a dádiva sem desejo obtém o fruto de todas as caridades; e mesmo quem busca um resultado específico alcança o fruto almejado, embora em outros lugares seja dificílimo de obter.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सर्वदानानाम्: of all gifts/charities
• सर्वदानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समास: सर्व + दान (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वाणि दानानि’)

• निष्कामः: a desireless person
• निष्कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (one who is desireless)

• प्राप्नुयात्: would obtain/should obtain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• सकामः: a desireful person
• सकामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (one with desires)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि = ‘also/even’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• इष्टम्: desired
• इष्टम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √इष्)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यद्यपि: although
• यद्यपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Clause linker/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (concessive: although)

• स्यात्: may be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; समास: सु + दुर्लभ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/उपसर्गपूर्वपद)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-tīrtha / Kṛṣṇa-hrada (contextual)

Type: kund/kshetra-associated tīrtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims near the sacred waters offer charity—food, cloth, coins—to a worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/poor/ascetic). Two inner states are contrasted: serene niṣkāma giver vs hopeful sakāma giver, both within the tīrtha’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇatīrtha/Kṛṣṇahrada (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha elevates both motives: it rewards niṣkāma (selfless) virtue supremely and can also fulfill sakāma (desire-based) aims.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The statement continues the māhātmya of Kṛṣṇatīrtha/Kṛṣṇahrada at Arbuda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: performing charity and seeking its fruit in connection with the tīrtha’s sanctity (following the prior instruction of bathing and darśana).