Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

लज्जादाक्षिण्यलोभाच्च यद्दानं चोपरोधजम् । भृत्येभ्यश्च तु यद्दानं तद्वृथा निष्फलं भवेत्

Transliteration

lajjādākṣiṇyalobhācca yaddānaṃ coparodhajam | bhṛtyebhyaśca tu yaddānaṃ tadvṛthā niṣphalaṃ bhavet

Translation

ทานที่ให้เพราะความอาย เพราะเพียงมารยาท เพราะความโลภ หรือเพราะถูกบังคับ—รวมทั้งทานที่ให้แก่คนรับใช้ด้วยแรงกดดัน—ย่อมเป็นทานเปล่า ไร้ผล

Word by Word

• लज्जा: from shame
• लज्जा: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (हेतोः/कारणार्थे)

• दाक्षिण्य: from politeness/consideration
• दाक्षिण्य: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (हेतोः)

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (हेतोः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपरोधजम्: arising from pressure/compulsion
• उपरोधजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपरोधज (प्रातिपदिक; उपरोध + ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः (उपरोधात् जायते इति) विशेषण (दानम्)

• भृत्येभ्यः: to servants/dependents
• भृत्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

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

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (correlative pronoun)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in vain)

• निष्फलम्: fruitless
• निष्फलम्: Karta (Predicate-adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक; निः + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (फलस्य अभावः) विशेषण (तत्/दानम्)

• भवेत्: would be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context of dialogue in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor’s mind is shown in four symbolic panels: embarrassment (averted face), politeness (forced smile), greed (clutching coins), compulsion (hand pushed forward); the final central image contrasts with serene, heartfelt giving to a worthy recipient on a riverbank.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The inner motive determines the spiritual fruit of charity; coerced or ego-driven giving yields no merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is praised; the verse gives universal dharma guidance within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna freely and sincerely; avoid gifts driven by compulsion, shame, or greed.