Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा प्रियाणि श्रुत्वा वा हर्षवद्यत्प्रदीयते । हर्षदानमिति प्रोक्तं दानं तद्धर्मचिंतकैः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā priyāṇi śrutvā vā harṣavadyatpradīyate | harṣadānamiti proktaṃ dānaṃ taddharmaciṃtakaiḥ

Translation

இன்பமளிக்கும் ஒன்றைக் கண்டு அல்லது கேட்டு மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் அளிக்கப்படும் தானத்தை தர்மத்தை சிந்திப்போர் ‘ஹர்ஷதானம்’ எனக் கூறுகின்றனர்।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive)

• प्रियाणि: pleasant things
• प्रियाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प particle/disjunction)

• हर्षवत्: joyfully
• हर्षवत्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हर्षवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण; -वत्-प्रत्ययान्त रूपं adverbially: ‘joyfully’)

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• प्रदीयते: is given
• प्रदीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हर्षदानम्: joy-giving (gift given in joy)
• हर्षदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हर्षस्य दानम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ‘is declared’

• दानम्: gift, giving
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘that (same)’

• धर्मचिन्तकैः: by the thinkers on dharma
• धर्मचिन्तकैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + चिन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य चिन्तकाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After hearing sacred recitation or seeing a deity/saint, a devotee smiles and offers gifts with bright, open posture; surrounding devotees sing; lamps and flowers create a festive aura.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma-thinkers (dharma-ciṃtaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Emotional uplift can inspire giving; dharma-tradition recognizes joy as a distinct motive shaping the nature of charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a general dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it defines a category of dāna characterized by gladness and pleasant stimulus.