Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सुवर्णादि यथाशक्त्या वित्तशाठ्यं विवर्जयेत् । गुप्तं दानं प्रयत्नेन कर्त्तव्यं सुप्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

suvarṇādi yathāśaktyā vittaśāṭhyaṃ vivarjayet | guptaṃ dānaṃ prayatnena karttavyaṃ suprayatnataḥ

Translation

应量力布施黄金等物，远离对财物的吝啬；并当竭力以隐密之方式行布施，勤谨而极其慎重。

Word by Word

• सुवर्णादि: gold and the like
• सुवर्णादि: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (समूहवाचक); समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुवर्णम् आदि यस्य/यत्र = gold etc.); वाक्ये विषय-निर्देश (topic)

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• यथाशक्त्या: Hetu/Upaya (Manner/उपाय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (शक्त्या); क्रियाविशेषण (according to ability)

• वित्तशाठ्यम्: deceit in matters of wealth
• वित्तशाठ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वित्ते शाठ्यम् = deceit regarding wealth)

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आज्ञार्थ/विधि

• गुप्तम्: secret; concealed
• गुप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त from गुप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of दानम्)

• दानम्: gift; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (what is to be done)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument/manner)

• कर्त्तव्यम्: must be done
• कर्त्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त/gerundive)
• Form: कर्तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भाव्य/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (दानम् ... कर्त्तव्यम्)

• सुप्रयत्नतः: with great effort; very carefully
• सुप्रयत्नतः: Hetu/Upaya (Manner/उपाय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय (तस्), क्रियाविशेषण; ‘सुप्रयत्न’ (well-effort) + -तः (from/with)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Sarayū-tīrtha context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Ayodhyā offers gold discreetly to a worthy recipient near a riverbank/ghāṭa, with attendants turned away; the act is quiet, reverent, and unpublicized.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True charity is humble and proportionate to one’s means, free from miserliness and performed without craving recognition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Ayodhyā’s tīrtha framework where dāna is emphasized alongside snāna and pūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give valuables like gold as able; avoid vitta-śāṭhya (stinginess); practice gupta-dāna—charity done discreetly.