Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

विधिहीने तथाऽपात्रे यो ददाति प्रतिग्रहम् । न केवलं हि तद्याति शेषं पुण्यं प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

vidhihīne tathā'pātre yo dadāti pratigraham | na kevalaṃ hi tadyāti śeṣaṃ puṇyaṃ praṇaśyati

Translation

ผู้ใดถวายทานแก่ผู้ไร้พิธีอันถูกต้องและเป็นผู้ไม่สมควรรับ (อปาตระ) ผู้นั้นมิใช่เพียงสูญสิ้นบุญแห่งทานนั้นเท่านั้น แม้บุญที่เหลืออยู่ก็พินาศไปด้วย

Word by Word

• विधिहीने: in (a situation) devoid of proper rule/rite
• विधिहीने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि-हीन (प्रातिपदिक; विधि + हीन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (locative absolute sense)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• अपात्रे: in an unworthy recipient
• अपात्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-पात्र (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रतिग्रहम्: a gift/acceptance (as a transaction)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• केवलम्: only; merely
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial accusative)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that (merit/result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• याति: goes; comes to pass
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• शेषम्: remaining
• शेषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचनम्

• प्रणश्यति: perishes; is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers a gift; a shadowy, unworthy receiver reaches out, while a luminous store of merit (puṇya) visibly drains away—symbolizing puṇya-kṣaya from apātra-dāna.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhi
• Puṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must follow dharmic procedure and proper eligibility; otherwise it can be spiritually harmful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it is a general dharma principle about safeguarding puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give only with vidhi and to a qualified recipient; avoid apātra-pratigraha contexts.