Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

इति सप्तपदैर्बद्धं दानमाहात्म्य मुत्तमम् । शक्त्या ते कीर्तितं राजन्साधु वाऽसाधु वा वद

Transliteration

iti saptapadairbaddhaṃ dānamāhātmya muttamam | śaktyā te kīrtitaṃ rājansādhu vā'sādhu vā vada

Translation

یوں سات قدموں (اشعار) میں دان کی اعلیٰ عظمت باندھ کر بیان کی گئی۔ اے راجن، اپنی بساط کے مطابق میں نے تم سے کہہ دیا—اب بتاؤ: یہ اچھی طرح کہا گیا یا بری طرح؟

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Adjective/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; समासाङ्ग (numeral member)

• padaiḥ: by words/steps
• padaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental plural)

• baddham: bound; composed
• baddham: Visheshana (Predicate participle/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'bound/compiled'

• dāna: gift; giving
• dāna: Visheshya (Qualifier/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• māhātmyam: the glory (of giving)
• māhātmyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; दान-माहात्म्यम् = 'the greatness of giving'

• uttamam: excellent; supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śaktyā: with (my) ability; as far as possible
• śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (feminine, instrumental singular); 'according to ability'

• te: to you; for you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी, एकवचन (dative/genitive singular)

• kīrtitam: (has been) narrated
• kīrtitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'has been described'

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative singular)

• sādhu: well; rightly
• sādhu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक/रीतिवाचक (adverb: well/rightly)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• asādhu: ill; wrongly
• asādhu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asādhu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निन्दार्थक/रीतिवाचक (adverb: wrongly)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• vada: say; tell
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher (contextual; preceding speaker not shown)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Dharmavarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teacher concludes a seven-verse instruction, palms slightly open in modesty; the king leans forward, ready to respond; the atmosphere is calm and respectful.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna (charity) is praised as a supreme dharmic act, worthy of concise, reverent teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on dāna-māhātmya in general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here—only the praise and summary presentation of charity’s merit.