Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

तदहं दानपुण्यं हि करिष्यामि कथं स्फुटम् । कौपीनदण्डात्मधनो धनं स्वल्पं हि नास्ति मे

Transliteration

tadahaṃ dānapuṇyaṃ hi kariṣyāmi kathaṃ sphuṭam | kaupīnadaṇḍātmadhano dhanaṃ svalpaṃ hi nāsti me

Translation

“ดังนั้น ข้าพเจ้าจะบำเพ็ญบุญแห่งทานให้ชัดแจ้งได้อย่างไร? ทรัพย์ของข้าพเจ้ามีเพียงผ้าคาวปีนะและไม้เท้าเท่านั้น แท้จริงแล้วข้าพเจ้าไม่มีเงินแม้เพียงน้อยนิด”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘that (act/idea)’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दानपुण्यम्: the merit of charity
• दानपुण्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘दानस्य पुण्यम्’ (merit of giving)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये निपात (particle)

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• स्फुटम्: clearly/plainly
• स्फुटम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• कौपीनदण्डात्मधनः: one whose only wealth is a loincloth and staff
• कौपीनदण्डात्मधनः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्म (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘कौपीनं दण्डश्च आत्मधनं यस्य सः’ (one whose only wealth is loincloth and staff)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Subject of ‘asti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वल्पम्: small/little
• स्वल्पम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of धनम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Existence)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: for me / mine
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of me/for me’

Speaker

Nārada (self-reflection in narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience within Kaumārikā frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-like Nārada (or narrator figure) with only kaupīna and daṇḍa, looking at his meager belongings, yet forming a firm resolve to perform charity.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada (implicit 'I')
• Kaupīna (loincloth)
• Daṇḍa (staff)
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere desire to give arises even in renunciation; one seeks dharmic ways to practice charity despite scarcity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it focuses on personal constraint and dharma-intent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it introduces the problem of how to perform dāna without material wealth.