Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

न ददाति कदा दानमेवं कालः प्रवर्तते । लब्धशासनका विप्रा लुप्तस्वाम्या अहर्निशम्

Transliteration

na dadāti kadā dānamevaṃ kālaḥ pravartate | labdhaśāsanakā viprā luptasvāmyā aharniśam

Translation

Không ai còn bố thí; thời cuộc cứ thế trôi. Các vipra, tuy có học vấn và kỷ luật, vẫn ngày đêm sống trong cảnh không người bảo trợ, không nơi nương tựa.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कदा: ever/when
• कदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/कालवाचक-अव्यय; interrogative adverb

• दानम्: gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय; adverb

• कालः: time/era
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (subject)

• प्रवर्तते: proceeds/prevails
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• लब्धशासनकाः: having obtained authority
• लब्धशासनकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध-शासनक (प्रातिपदिक; लभ् धातु → लब्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having obtained rule/authority’ qualifying विप्राः

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• लुप्तस्वाम्याः: with their authority lost
• लुप्तस्वाम्याः: Visheshya-predicate (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुप्त-स्वाम्य (प्रातिपदिक; लुप् धातु → लुप्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘whose lordship/authority is lost’ (predicate adjective)

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहर्निशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; dvandva-समास (अहः+निशा) used adverbially ‘day and night’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vatsa-addressed interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poignant street-side scene: brāhmaṇas with scriptures and staff, disciplined yet hungry, sitting near closed granaries; townspeople pass without giving; the sun sets on a city that has forgotten dāna.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Dāna (charity)
• Kāla (the age/time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Withholding dāna and abandoning support for dharma-teachers is portrayed as a hallmark of societal decline, harming both givers and the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya narrative context continues; this verse focuses on social-ethical decay rather than a specific tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charity) is the implied prescription—its absence is condemned as a sign of declining dharma.