Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 165

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । दर्भांस्तिलानक्षतांश्च तोयं चैतैः सुसंयुतम् । कस्मात्प्रदीयते दानं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि कारणम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | darbhāṃstilānakṣatāṃśca toyaṃ caitaiḥ susaṃyutam | kasmātpradīyate dānaṃ jñātumicchāmi kāraṇam

Translation

พระราชาตรัสว่า ‘เหตุใดการให้ทานจึงประกอบด้วยหญ้าดรรภะ งา ข้าวสารไม่แตก (อักษตะ) และน้ำ ข้าพเจ้าปรารถนาจะทราบเหตุผล’

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (speech act)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• darbhān: darbha grasses
• darbhān: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• tilān: sesame seeds
• tilān: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• akṣatān: unbroken rice grains
• akṣatān: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• toyam: water
• toyam: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• etaiḥ: with these
• etaiḥ: Karana (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन

• su-saṃyutam: well-combined/mixed
• su-saṃyutam: Karma (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग) + saṃ-yuj (युज् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (toyam/dravya-samūha)

• kasmāt: from what (cause)? why?
• kasmāt: Hetu (cause: from what reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• pradīyate: is given
• pradīyate: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लट्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dānam: gift/charity
• dānam: Karma (object/subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• jñātum: to know
• jñātum: Prayojana (purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुनन्त (infinitive)

• icchāmi: I wish
• icchāmi: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kāraṇam: the reason
• kāraṇam: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahākāla (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king gestures toward a ritual tray holding darbha, sesame, unbroken rice, and a water vessel, asking Mahākāla for the reason; attentive assembly of priests.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā
• Darbha
• Tila
• Akṣata
• Toya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes knowing the ‘why’ behind ritual details; inquiry supports correct practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is stated in this verse; it introduces a ritual-technical question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is commonly accompanied by darbha, tila, akṣata, and water—prompting an explanation of their purpose.