Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

न दानस्य क्षयो लोके श्रद्धया यत्प्रदीयते । अश्रद्धयाऽशुचितया दानं वैरस्यकारणम्

Transliteration

na dānasya kṣayo loke śraddhayā yatpradīyate | aśraddhayā'śucitayā dānaṃ vairasyakāraṇam

Translation

Sa mundong ito, ang kawanggawang inihahandog nang may śraddhā (pananampalataya) ay hindi kailanman nababawasan. Ngunit ang handog na walang pananampalataya at may dungis sa loob ay nagiging sanhi ng pagkapoot at alitan.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• dānasya: of charity/gift
• dānasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• kṣayaḥ: loss/decay
• kṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• pradīyate: is given
• pradīyate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-उपसर्ग + √dā-दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

• aśraddhayā: with lack of faith
• aśraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-नञ् + śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (without faith)

• aśucitayā: with impurity
• aśucitayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-नञ् + śucitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (with impurity)

• dānam: charity/gift
• dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• vairasyakāraṇam: a cause of hostility/discord
• vairasyakāraṇam: Kriyā (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairasya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वैरस्यस्य कारणम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers alms with folded hands to a worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/ascetic/poor), while a contrasting figure gives arrogantly, leading to quarrel—illustrating śraddhā vs aśraddhā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit in dāna arises from śraddhā and purity of intention; faithless giving harms relationships and spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse gives a general tīrtha-dharma principle within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya rather than naming a single site in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes that charity should be performed with śraddhā and inner cleanliness; otherwise it becomes spiritually counterproductive.