Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

यः स्वयं मृष्टमश्राति विप्रायान्यत्प्रयच्छति । वृथापाकः स विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मवादिविगर्हितः

Transliteration

yaḥ svayaṃ mṛṣṭamaśrāti viprāyānyatprayacchati | vṛthāpākaḥ sa vijñeyo brahmavādivigarhitaḥ

Translation

যে নিজে উৎকৃষ্ট, পরিশ্রুত আহার করে কিন্তু ব্রাহ্মণকে নীচতর বস্তু দেয়—তাকে ‘বৃথা-পাক’ বলে জানবে; ব্রহ্মসত্যের বক্তারা তাকে নিন্দা করেন।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक (reflexive adverb)

• मृष्टम्: well-prepared/delicious
• मृष्टम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √मृज् ‘to cleanse/polish’ → ‘well-prepared’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘भोजन’ इत्यर्थे कर्मविशेषण

• अश्राति: he eats
• अश्राति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्राय: to a brāhmaṇa
• विप्राय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

• अन्यत्: something else/inferior other (food)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘भिन्नम्’ इत्यर्थे

• प्रयच्छति: he gives/offers
• प्रयच्छति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु) + प्र- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वृथा: in vain/wrongly
• वृथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पाकः: a cook/one who cooks (such food)
• पाकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘पाककर्ता/पाककर्म’ इत्यर्थे

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known (as)
• विज्ञेयः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्ञेय (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा (धातु) + वि-; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक ‘ज्ञातव्यः’ (to be known)

• ब्रह्मवादि: by the expounders of Brahman (brāhmaṇas)
• ब्रह्मवादि: Karta/Agent (Doer of ‘condemn’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः वादिनः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd) बहुवचन-तुल्येन ‘-भिः’ अर्थे (विगर्हितः इत्यस्य कर्तृकरणभावः)

• विगर्हितः: condemned
• विगर्हितः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगर्हित (कृदन्त; √गर्ह् (धातु) + वि-; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A kitchen/feeding scene: a householder keeps fine sweets and ghee-rich food for himself while handing coarse fare to a seated brāhmaṇa; a subtle aura dims around the hearth to show 'vṛthā-pāka'.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be sincere and respectful; offering inferior gifts while keeping the best for oneself is hypocrisy and brings no merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied rule of dāna/atithi-sevā: offer worthy food and gifts to vipras/guests rather than leftovers or inferior substitutes.