Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तथा च सर्वदानानां निष्कामः प्राप्नुयात्फलम् । सकामोऽपि फलं चेष्टं यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्ल्लभम्

Transliteration

tathā ca sarvadānānāṃ niṣkāmaḥ prāpnuyātphalam | sakāmo'pi phalaṃ ceṣṭaṃ yadyapi syātsudurllabham

Translation

اسی طرح جو بے غرض ہو وہ تمام دانوں کا پھل پاتا ہے؛ اور جو خواہش کے ساتھ بھی ہو، وہ بھی مطلوبہ پھل پا لیتا ہے، اگرچہ وہ (اور جگہ) نہایت دشوار الیاب ہو۔

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सर्वदानानाम्: of all gifts/charities
• सर्वदानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समास: सर्व + दान (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वाणि दानानि’)

• निष्कामः: a desireless person
• निष्कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (one who is desireless)

• प्राप्नुयात्: would obtain/should obtain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• सकामः: a desireful person
• सकामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (one with desires)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि = ‘also/even’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• इष्टम्: desired
• इष्टम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √इष्)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यद्यपि: although
• यद्यपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Clause linker/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (concessive: although)

• स्यात्: may be/would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; समास: सु + दुर्लभ (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/उपसर्गपूर्वपद)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛṣṇa-tīrtha / Kṛṣṇa-hrada (contextual)

Type: kund/kshetra-associated tīrtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims near the sacred waters offer charity—food, cloth, coins—to a worthy recipient (brāhmaṇa/poor/ascetic). Two inner states are contrasted: serene niṣkāma giver vs hopeful sakāma giver, both within the tīrtha’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇatīrtha/Kṛṣṇahrada (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha elevates both motives: it rewards niṣkāma (selfless) virtue supremely and can also fulfill sakāma (desire-based) aims.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The statement continues the māhātmya of Kṛṣṇatīrtha/Kṛṣṇahrada at Arbuda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: performing charity and seeking its fruit in connection with the tīrtha’s sanctity (following the prior instruction of bathing and darśana).