Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अन्नहीनो दहेद्राष्ट्रं मन्त्रहीनस्तु ऋत्विजः । दातारं दक्षिणाहीनो नास्ति यज्ञसमो रिपुः

Transliteration

annahīno dahedrāṣṭraṃ mantrahīnastu ṛtvijaḥ | dātāraṃ dakṣiṇāhīno nāsti yajñasamo ripuḥ

Translation

اليَجْنَةُ إذا خلت من الطعام قد تُحرق مملكةً؛ والكاهنُ (ṛtvij) إذا خلا من المانترا أفسد الشعيرة؛ وإذا غابت الدكشِنا أضرّت بالراعي المتصدّق. لا عدوّ يُضاهي قربانًا معيبًا.

Word by Word

• अन्नहीनः: one lacking food
• अन्नहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्नेन हीनः = lacking food)

• दहेत्: should burn
• दहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should burn)

• राष्ट्रम्: the kingdom
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मन्त्रहीनः: one lacking mantra
• मन्त्रहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रेण हीनः = lacking mantra)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• दातारम्: the giver/patron
• दातारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• दक्षिणाहीनः: one lacking dakṣiṇā (fee)
• दक्षिणाहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणया हीनः = lacking fee)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्ञसमः: equal to a sacrifice
• यज्ञसमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञेन समः = equal to a sacrifice)

• रिपुः: enemy
• रिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the king) (continuing his concern about ritual defects)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: the yajña pavilion with three symbolic lacks—empty grain baskets, a priest with closed/forgotten mantra scrolls, and an unoffered dakṣiṇā tray—while ominous smoke curls, suggesting the rite turning hostile.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Ṛtvij
• Dakṣiṇā
• Rāṣṭra
• Dātā (Yajamāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred actions must be complete and properly supported; negligence in yajña becomes self-destructive, harming society and the patron.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse is a dharma-warning within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure sufficiency of anna (offerings/food), correctness of mantras, and due dakṣiṇā to priests to prevent ritual ‘harm’.