Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

शक्ते परजने दाता स्वजने दुःखजीविनि । मध्वापानविषादः स धर्माणां प्रतिरूपकः

Transliteration

śakte parajane dātā svajane duḥkhajīvini | madhvāpānaviṣādaḥ sa dharmāṇāṃ pratirūpakaḥ

Translation

Nếu có thể giúp mà lại bố thí cho người ngoài, còn để người nhà mình sống trong khổ lụy, thì khác nào uống mật rồi chịu độc—chỉ là hình bóng giả của dharma (chánh pháp).

Word by Word

• शक्ते: when able/in capacity
• शक्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• परजने: towards others
• परजने: Adhikaraṇa (Context/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘परः जनः’ (other people)

• दाता: a giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वजने: towards one’s own people
• स्वजने: Adhikaraṇa (Context/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘स्वः जनः’ (one’s own people)

• दुःखजीविनि: (who are) living in hardship
• दुःखजीविनि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘svajane’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (living in misery)

• मधु-अपान-विषादः: dejection after honey-drinking (sweet at first, bitter later)
• मधु-अपान-विषादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + अपान + विषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘मध्वपानात् विषादः’ (dejection after drinking honey)

• सः: that (is)
• सः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्माणाम्: of dharmas/virtues
• धर्माणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रतिरूपकः: a counterfeit/semblance
• प्रतिरूपकः: Kriyā-pūraka (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिरूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate noun)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor gives lavishly to strangers while his family sits in visible distress; above, a scale tilts, and the honey-poison metaphor appears as a cup with sweetness on top and dark residue beneath—labelled as ‘pratirūpaka dharma’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma integrates compassion with responsibility; neglecting dependents while giving elsewhere is false virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is household ethics in charity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prioritize rightful duties to one’s dependents before extending charity beyond the household.