Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छ्रद्धावता पात्रे दत्तं न्यायार्जितं हि यत् । तेनैव भगवान्रुद्रः स्वल्पकेनापि तुष्यति

Transliteration

tasmācchraddhāvatā pātre dattaṃ nyāyārjitaṃ hi yat | tenaiva bhagavānrudraḥ svalpakenāpi tuṣyati

Translation

Vì thế, vật gì được dâng cúng với lòng tin cho người xứng đáng, và do phương tiện chính đáng mà có—chỉ bấy nhiêu thôi cũng làm Bhagavān Rudra hoan hỷ, dù lễ vật nhỏ bé.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Prayojana (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• श्रद्धावतā: by a faithful (person)
• श्रद्धावतā: Karta (Agent as instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (one having faith)

• पात्रे: in/unto a worthy recipient
• पात्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/recipient context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given (gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object; thing given)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

• न्यायार्जितम्: rightfully earned
• न्यायार्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘dattam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्याय + अर्जित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्; अर्जित = √अर्ज्-धातोः भूतकृदन्त (acquired)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avadhāraṇa/Hetu (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma (Correlative to ‘tena’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वल्पकेन: by a small (offering)
• स्वल्पकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Inclusiveness)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• तुष्यति: is pleased
• तुष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble devotee offers a small but pure gift (water, bilva leaf, handful of grain) to a worthy brāhmaṇa/ascetic near a Śiva-liṅga; Rudra’s presence is suggested as a luminous aura approving the act.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith, rightful earning, and the worthiness of the recipient matter more than the size of the gift; such dāna pleases Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse emphasizes Shaiva dharma through dāna that pleases Rudra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give nyāyārjita (honestly earned) wealth, with śraddhā, to a pātra (worthy person).