Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यथैवाश्माश्मनाबद्धो निक्षिप्तो वारिमध्यतः । द्वावेतौ निधनं यातस्तद्वदन्नमपात्रके

Transliteration

yathaivāśmāśmanābaddho nikṣipto vārimadhyataḥ | dvāvetau nidhanaṃ yātastadvadannamapātrake

Translation

Wie ein Stein, an einen anderen Stein gebunden und mitten ins Wasser geworfen, beide zum Untergang hinabzieht, so führt auch Speise, die einem Unwürdigen gegeben wird, ins Verderben.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamāna-sūcaka (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• अश्मा: a stone
• अश्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अश्मना: with a stone
• अश्मना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental)

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘bound/tied’

• निक्षिप्तः: thrown
• निक्षिप्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-क्षिप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्षिप् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘thrown/placed’

• वारि: of water
• वारि: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive)

• मध्यतः: from/in the middle
• मध्यतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन; संख्या-विशेषणम् (एतौ)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन

• निधनम्: destruction, death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• यातः: have gone (to)
• यातः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; भूतकालिक-कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनार्थे (पाठे ‘यातः’ एकवचनरूपं, अर्थतः द्विवचन-सम्बन्धः); ‘have gone’

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Upamāna-sūcaka (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (in the same way)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अपात्रके: in/for an unworthy person
• अपात्रके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-पात्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (unworthy recipient)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context of dialogue in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two stones tied together plunge into a deep river; in parallel, a donor hands food to a visibly unfit recipient (cruel/violent demeanor), and both are shown metaphorically sinking—didactic allegory.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be guided by discernment; giving to the unworthy harms both parties spiritually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching occurs in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), though this verse focuses on dāna ethics rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution regarding anna-dāna: do not offer food as a gift to an apātra (unfit recipient).