Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहस्य स्वीकारं कथं कुर्याम ह द्विजाः । न तांबूलं स्त्रीकृतं नो ह्यद्मो दानेन भषितम्

Transliteration

pratigrahasya svīkāraṃ kathaṃ kuryāma ha dvijāḥ | na tāṃbūlaṃ strīkṛtaṃ no hyadmo dānena bhaṣitam

Translation

„O Zweimalgeborene, wie könnten wir Gaben annehmen? Wir nehmen nicht einmal Tambūla (Betel), von einer Frau bereitet, und wir essen nichts, was durch unziemliches Geben befleckt ist.“

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहस्य: of accepting (a gift)
• प्रतिग्रहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• स्वीकारम्: acceptance
• स्वीकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• कुर्याम: should I do/make
• कुर्याम: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed/oh
• ह: Kriya-anubandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधन/विस्मयादि निपात (particle, often emphatic)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (addressing)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• ताम्बूलम्: betel (leaf)
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स्त्री-कृतम्: made by a woman
• स्त्री-कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘कृत’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः कृतम्)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचन/चतुर्थी (4th) बहुवचन—एतस्मिन् प्रसङ्गे षष्ठी (our) अधिकयुक्ता

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Kriya-anubandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (for/indeed)

• अद्मः: we eat
• अद्मः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; छान्दस/वैदिकरूपम् ‘अद्मः’ = ‘अद्मस्/अद्मः’ (we eat)

• दानेन: by/with a gift
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• भषितम्: spoken/uttered
• भषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भषित (कृदन्त; √भष्/√भाष् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the Vāḍava brāhmaṇas/ascetics articulating strict conduct)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Austere dvijas in a forest hermitage refuse gifts with calm firmness; simple vessels, kusa grass, and a restrained setting emphasize purity and vow-keeping.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Pratigraha
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life requires discernment in receiving; purity of livelihood and intention is treated as essential to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Dharmāraṇya, where dharma-oriented conduct is highlighted as part of the place’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restraint is implied: avoidance of improper acceptance (pratigraha) and consumption associated with questionable gifting.