Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

माण्डव्य उवाच । अदत्तदाना जायन्ते परभाग्योपजीविनः । न स्नानं न जपो होमो नातिथ्यं न सुरार्चनम्

Transliteration

māṇḍavya uvāca | adattadānā jāyante parabhāgyopajīvinaḥ | na snānaṃ na japo homo nātithyaṃ na surārcanam

Translation

Māṇḍavya sprach: «Wer keine Gabe der Wohltätigkeit spendet, wird geboren, vom Glück anderer abhängig. Kein heiliges Bad, kein Japa, kein Homa vollzieht er; weder Gastfreundschaft noch Verehrung der Devas.»

Word by Word

• माण्डव्यः: Māṇḍavya (sage)
• माण्डव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अदत्तदानाः: non-givers; those who do not give charity
• अदत्तदानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदत्त (कृदन्त; दा-धातु से क्त) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (those whose giving is not given/ who do not give)

• जायन्ते: are born / come to be
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परभाग्योपजीविनः: those who live off others' fortune
• परभाग्योपजीविनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (parabhāgya-upajīvin = living on others' fortune)

• न: not / no
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• जपः: recitation (japa)
• जपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (sandhi in nātithyam)

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality to guests
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• सुरार्चनम्: worship of the gods
• सुरार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (worship of the gods)

Speaker

Māṇḍavya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-context

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-s (addressed as ethical audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Māṇḍavya) instructs attentive brāhmaṇas on the decline of those who neglect charity and daily rites; in the background a riverbank tīrtha with pilgrims bathing and a small shrine receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dāna and daily dharma leads to spiritual and social dependency; dharmic life is marked by regular worship and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the teaching is framed within the Revā (Narmadā) section of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, japa, homa, atithi-sevā (hospitality), and deva-arcana (worship) are listed as key daily observances.