Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

के च प्रकाराश्चत्वारः किंस्वित्तत्त्रिविधं द्विज । पयो नाशाश्च के प्रोक्ता दानस्यैतत्स्फुटं वद

Transliteration

ke ca prakārāścatvāraḥ kiṃsvittattrividhaṃ dvija | payo nāśāśca ke proktā dānasyaitatsphuṭaṃ vada

Translation

โอ้ทวิชะ ผู้เกิดสองครั้ง! วิธีทานสี่ประการมีอะไร และสิ่งใดที่กล่าวว่าเป็นสามประการ? อีกทั้ง ‘ความสูญเสีย/ความเสื่อม’ ใดบ้างที่สอนเกี่ยวกับทาน จงกล่าวให้ชัดเจนเถิด

Word by Word

• के: which (ones)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• प्रकाराः: kinds, types
• प्रकाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वित्: indeed? (question particle)
• स्वित्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svit (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• त्रिविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (त्रयः विधाः यस्य)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नाशाः: losses, destructions
• नाशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• के: which (ones)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: are declared/said
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prokta (कृदन्त; √vac वचने with प्र-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्फुटम्: clearly
• स्फुटम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially)

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

The King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame) / the addressed brāhmaṇa (‘dvija’) within the story

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The questioner presses for finer distinctions: four modes, a threefold principle, and the ‘destroyers’ of merit—suggesting a teacher about to enumerate with finger-counting gestures.

Characters & Entities

• dvija (Brahmin)
• four types (catvāraḥ prakārāḥ)
• threefold principle (trividha)
• nāśa (loss/diminution)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Understanding the right categories of dāna includes knowing what strengthens merit and what causes its decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse continues a doctrinal interrogation on dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for a precise explanation of dāna’s types, a threefold division, and factors that destroy or reduce its fruit.