Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

बोधयंति च यावंतो देहीति कृपणं जनाः । अवस्थेयमदानस्य मा भूदेवं भवानपि

Transliteration

bodhayaṃti ca yāvaṃto dehīti kṛpaṇaṃ janāḥ | avastheyamadānasya mā bhūdevaṃ bhavānapi

Translation

جتنے بھی لوگ کسی بخیل کو 'دے دو' کہہ کر نصیحت کرتے ہیں، نہ دینے کی یہ رسوائی قائم رہتی ہے۔ ایسا انجام آپ کا نہ ہو۔

Word by Word

• bodhayanti: they instruct/advise
• bodhayanti: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural); णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) — ‘cause to know/advise’

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

• yāvantaḥ: as many as
• yāvantaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (quantifying adjective)

• dehi: give!
• dehi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्; धातु ‘दा’ — ‘give’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• kṛpaṇam: the miser
• kṛpaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्; कर्मपद (object)

• janāḥ: people
• janāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचनम्

• avastheyam: despicable
• avastheyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-sthā (धातु) + ya (कृत्)
• Form: भाव्य/अर्ह्य-प्रत्यय (यत्/य) कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘अवस्थेय’ = अवज्ञेय/तिरस्करणीय (to be despised)

• adānasya: of non-giving
• adānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचनम्; ‘अदान’ = न दानम् (non-giving)

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle), लोट्/विधिलिङ्/लुङ् इत्यादौ सह

• bhūt: let it be
• bhūt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; ‘भू’ — ‘become/be’

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम्; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A miserly householder is surrounded by elders and supplicants urging him to give; his clenched fist contrasts with a radiant alms-bowl and the shadow of ‘disgrace’ behind him.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Miserliness brings social and spiritual disgrace; one should adopt dāna as a dharmic habit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the teaching is general dharma supporting merit-making practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription to practice dāna (charity) and avoid adāna (withholding).