Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अल्पत्वं वा बहुत्वं वा दानस्याभ्युदयावहम् । श्रद्धा शक्तिश्च दानानां वृद्ध्यक्षयकरेहि ते

Transliteration

alpatvaṃ vā bahutvaṃ vā dānasyābhyudayāvaham | śraddhā śaktiśca dānānāṃ vṛddhyakṣayakarehi te

Translation

దానం చిన్నదైనా పెద్దదైనా శుభోన్నతిని కలిగిస్తుంది. దానానికి వృద్ధి గానీ క్షయముగానీ శ్రద్ధ మరియు సామర్థ్యమే కారణం.

Word by Word

• अल्पत्वम्: smallness, littleness
• अल्पत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पत्व (प्रातिपदिक; अल्प + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• बहुत्वम्: abundance, largeness
• बहुत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• दानस्य: of giving, of donation
• दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अभ्युदयावहम्: bringing prosperity
• अभ्युदयावहम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्युदय-आवह (कृदन्त; √वह् (धातु) + णिनि/अण्; समास: अभ्युदय + आवह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying alpatvaṃ/bahutvaṃ)

• श्रद्धा: faith
• श्रद्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शक्तिः: capacity, ability
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: “and”)

• दानानाम्: of gifts, of acts of giving
• दानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वृद्धि-अक्षय-करे: O doer of increase and imperishability
• वृद्धि-अक्षय-करे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्धि + अक्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषण (addressing ‘te’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• ते: O you
• ते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Brahmin teacher (unnamed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble donor offers a small gift with folded hands before a serene Śaiva altar; beside him a wealthy man offers heaps with distracted pride; a subtle aura of light surrounds the faithful giver, while the other’s offering appears spiritually dim.

Characters & Entities

• śraddhā (faith)
• śakti (capacity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The spiritual power of dāna depends chiefly on śraddhā (reverent intention) and śakti (honest capacity), not merely on quantity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse teaches a universal dharma principle about charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give according to one’s means with sincere faith; the merit grows or diminishes based on intention and capacity.