Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

अन्नारामं च वासांसि हयप्रभृतिवाहनम् । दानानि मध्यमानीति मध्यमद्रव्यदानतः

Transliteration

annārāmaṃ ca vāsāṃsi hayaprabhṛtivāhanam | dānāni madhyamānīti madhyamadravyadānataḥ

Translation

غذا اور باغات، کپڑے، اور گھوڑوں وغیرہ سے شروع ہونے والی سواریوں کے دان—یہ ‘درمیانے’ کہلاتے ہیں، کیونکہ یہ درمیانی وسائل کی بخشش ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अन्न-आरामम्: a food-garden / grain-orchard
• अन्न-आरामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: अन्नस्य आरामः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/conjunction)

• वासांसि: garments
• वासांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• हय-प्रभृति-वाहनम्: vehicles such as horses, etc.
• हय-प्रभृति-वाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभृति (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (हयप्रभृतीनि वाहनानि/हयादि-वाहनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दानानि: gifts
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• मध्यमानि: middling
• मध्यमानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (agreeing with ‘दानानि’)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरणसूचक/quotative)

• मध्यम-द्रव्य-दानतः: by (the criterion of) giving middling materials
• मध्यम-द्रव्य-दानतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/हेतु-निर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास + तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय: ‘from/according to giving of middling substances’

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling yet orderly charity scene: a feeding hall serving pilgrims (anna), attendants distributing folded garments (vāsāṃsi), a shaded garden (ārāma) with resting travelers, and a stable with horses/vehicles offered for service.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practical support—food, clothing, and transport—has clear merit, though it is ranked below life-sustaining infrastructure and life-saving gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

‘Middling’ gifts include food/grain, gardens, clothing, and vehicles such as horses.