Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तेनापि किल धर्मेण उद्दिश्य किल किंचन । देयं तद्धर्मयुगिति शून्ये शून्यं फलं मतम्

Transliteration

tenāpi kila dharmeṇa uddiśya kila kiṃcana | deyaṃ taddharmayugiti śūnye śūnyaṃ phalaṃ matam

Translation

அத்தகைய தர்மமான வழியில்கூட, உரிய அர்ப்பணிப்பு-நோக்கத்துடன் தர்மபுத்தியால் ஏதாவது ஒன்றைத் தானமாக அளிக்க வேண்டும்; நோக்கம் வெறுமையாயின் பலனும் வெறுமை எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• tena: by that
• tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; pronoun ‘by that/with that’

• api: even, also
• api: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/even’

• kila: indeed, it is said
• kila: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक निपात (particle: ‘indeed/it is said’)

• dharmeṇa: by (that) religious act/duty
• dharmeṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; Instrumental ‘by/with (that) dharma’

• uddiśya: having dedicated/intended
• uddiśya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-diś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having intended/dedicated (to)’

• kila: indeed
• kila: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle

• kiṃcana: something (a little)
• kiṃcana: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘something, anything (a little)’

• deyam: to be given
• deyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) → deya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be given’

• tat-dharma-yuk: endowed with that dharma
• tat-dharma-yuk: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + yuk (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘endowed with that dharma’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (understood with deyaṃ/karma as predicative qualifier)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vacana-marker (वचनचिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• śūnye: in the absence (void condition)
• śūnye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; Locative ‘in/when (it is) void/without (proper intent)’

• śūnyam: void, null
• śūnyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śūnya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘void, null’ qualifying phalam

• phalam: result
• phalam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘result’

• matam: is considered
• matam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) → mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘is considered/held (to be)’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor pauses in contemplation, hands in añjali, mentally dedicating the gift; a subtle aura indicates intention; the act of giving follows with reverence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be accompanied by dharmic intention and dedication; without it, the spiritual result collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse teaches the inner principle behind meritorious giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a proper dedication/saṅkalpa while giving, so the act is ‘dharma-yuk’ (joined to dharma).