Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

पञ्चयज्ञक्रियां चापि पक्तिं दैनंदिनीमपि । गृहस्थाश्रमिणः पञ्चसूनाकर्म दिनेदिने

Transliteration

pañcayajñakriyāṃ cāpi paktiṃ dainaṃdinīmapi | gṛhasthāśramiṇaḥ pañcasūnākarma dinedine

Translation

Der Hausherr hat die Riten der fünf großen Opfer (pañca-yajña) zu vollziehen und ebenso das tägliche Kochen. Tag für Tag zieht der gṛhastha durch das gewöhnliche Leben unvermeidlich die fünf „dem Schlachten ähnlichen“ Lasten (pañca-sūnā) auf sich.

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदम्; विशेषणम्

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासमध्यपदम्

• क्रियाम्: the rite of the five sacrifices
• क्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'पञ्च-यज्ञ-क्रियाम्' द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च यज्ञाः यस्याः सा/तत्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (also)

• पक्तिम्: cooking/meal-preparation
• पक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दैनंदिनीम्: daily
• दैनंदिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैनंदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पक्तिम् इत्यस्य)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात

• गृहस्थ: householder
• गृहस्थ: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपदम्

• आश्रमिणः: of the householder (āśrama-follower)
• आश्रमिणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'गृहस्थ-आश्रमिणः' = गृहस्थाश्रमस्य आश्रमिणः (of one belonging to the householder-āśrama)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; समासपूर्वपदम्

• सून: (household) harms/defiling acts
• सून: Sambandha (Compound-member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासमध्यपदम्; (सूनाः = हिंसास्थानानि/दोषहेतवः)

• कर्म: the set of five (sūnā-)acts
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'पञ्च-सूना-कर्म' द्विगु-समासः

• दिने: in a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-सप्तमी

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'दिने दिने' = प्रतिदिनम् (each day)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Brāhma Khaṇḍa dharma-narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-mahāyajña (nitya-tīrtha within gṛhastha life)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household day: cooking fire, grinding stone, broom, water-pot—tools linked to pañca-sūnā; alongside, the same householder performs pañca-yajña—svādhyāya, offerings, feeding a guest, feeding animals, and pitṛ-tarpana.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily life creates subtle harm and debt; the five great sacrifices purify the householder and sustain cosmic and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse teaches universal gṛhastha obligations rather than a pilgrimage location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes pañca-yajña performance and recognizes pañca-sūnā karmas that arise daily, implying regular expiatory discipline.