Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

चतुःप्रकारं त्रिविधं त्रिनाशं दानमुच्यते । इत्येकं श्लोकमाभाष्य खे वाणी विरराम ह

Transliteration

catuḥprakāraṃ trividhaṃ trināśaṃ dānamucyate | ityekaṃ ślokamābhāṣya khe vāṇī virarāma ha

Translation

“布施（dāna）被说为四类、三重，并有三种‘败坏’能毁其功德。”说完这一偈，天上的声音便沉寂了。

Word by Word

• चतुःप्रकारम्: of four kinds
• चतुःप्रकारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारः प्रकाराः यस्य)

• त्रिविधम्: threefold
• त्रिविधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयो विधाः यस्य)

• त्रिनाशम्: having three destructions/cessations
• त्रिनाशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयो नाशाः यस्य)

• दानम्: charity/giving
• दानम्: Karta (Grammatical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उच्यते: is said/is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसमाप्त्यर्थक (thus)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (श्लोकम्)

• श्लोकम्: verse
• श्लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आभाष्य: having uttered/spoken
• आभाष्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + भाष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (having spoken)

• खे: in the sky
• खे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• वाणी: the voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विरराम: ceased/stopped
• विरराम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/just (emphatic)
• ह: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पदपूरण/स्मरणार्थक (expletive particle)

Speaker

Khe-vāṇī (celestial voice)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sky-voice completes the teaching; the radiance withdraws, leaving the king and assembly in thoughtful silence, as if holding a riddle-like verse.

Characters & Entities

• Khe-vāṇī (voice in the sky)
• Dāna (charity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be performed with discernment: it has recognized types and can be spiritually ‘destroyed’ by specific faults.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within a tīrtha setting; the verse itself is a universal dharma-teaching on dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance for dāna: know its classifications (four/three) and avoid the three merit-destroying factors (tri-nāśa).