Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

दातारः संति वित्तस्य राज्यस्य गजवाजिनाम् । आत्मदेहस्य वा क्वापि न कलत्रस्य कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

dātāraḥ saṃti vittasya rājyasya gajavājinām | ātmadehasya vā kvāpi na kalatrasya karhicit

Translation

世间有施与财物者，有施与国土者，有施与象马者；亦有处处有人甚至舍施其身——然从未有任何时候，将自己的妻子施与他人。

Word by Word

• dātāraḥ: givers/donors
• dātāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• santi: are/exist
• santi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• vittasya: of wealth
• vittasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• rājyasya: of a kingdom
• rājyasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• gaja-vājinām: of elephants and horses
• gaja-vājinām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + vājin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (copulative: elephants and horses); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ātma-dehasya: of one's own body
• ātma-dehasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी: 'one's own body'); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• kvāpi: somewhere/ever
• kvāpi: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'somewhere/at any place'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• kalatrasya: of a wife/spouse
• kalatrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• karhicit: ever
• karhicit: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb): 'ever/at any time'

Speaker

Bhadrāyu (continuing the king’s statement)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king enumerates permissible gifts—treasure chests, royal insignia, elephants and horses—while the queen stands inviolate; the brāhmaṇa’s demand is visually negated by the king’s protective stance.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna must be governed by dharma; some relationships are protected by moral law and cannot be treated as transferable property.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discusses dāna in principle and sets a boundary (wife is not an object of charity).