Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नानेन किं पुण्यं दानेन च महामते । तत्सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामस्त्वत्तः सूत गुणाधिक

Transliteration

tatra snānena kiṃ puṇyaṃ dānena ca mahāmate | tatsarvaṃ śrotumicchāmastvattaḥ sūta guṇādhika

Translation

噢，大智者，在那里沐浴能得何等功德？布施又有何等福德？噢，德行圆满的苏多啊，我们愿从你处听闻这一切。

Word by Word

• तत्र: there (in that place)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• पुण्यम्: merit, holy benefit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• दानेन: by giving (charity)
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् मतिः यस्य)

• तत्-सर्वम्: all that
• तत्-सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (तत् एव सर्वम्)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; अर्थः—कर्तुम्/श्रोतुम् (to hear)

• इच्छामः: we desire
• इच्छामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• गुणाधिक: O one superior in virtues
• गुणाधिक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणाधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (गुणैः अधिकः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (Sarayū-snānā context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, with earnest devotion, ask Sūta to detail the merits of bathing and charity in Ayodhyā—evoking ghāṭa rituals and almsgiving scenes.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma at a tīrtha is practiced through purifying acts (snāna) and compassionate giving (dāna), which together mature spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā in general; the verse asks about the merits of rituals performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) are explicitly referenced as key tīrtha-practices whose benefits are to be explained.