Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

पत्रभोजी कांस्यपात्रं घृतपूर्णं प्रयच्छति । भूमिशय्याव्रते देया शय्या श्लक्ष्णा सतूलिका

Transliteration

patrabhojī kāṃsyapātraṃ ghṛtapūrṇaṃ prayacchati | bhūmiśayyāvrate deyā śayyā ślakṣṇā satūlikā

Translation

Wer von Blatttellern speist, soll ein bronzenes Gefäß, mit Ghee gefüllt, darbringen. Und für das Gelübde, auf der Erde zu schlafen, gebe man ein glattes Lager mit Matratze — dies ist die rechte Gabe für jene Observanz.

Word by Word

• पत्रभोजी: one who eats on leaves
• पत्रभोजी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पत्रं भोजी = पत्रभोजी)

• कांस्यपात्रम्: a bronze vessel
• कांस्यपात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कांस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कांस्यस्य पात्रम्)

• घृतपूर्णम्: filled with ghee
• घृतपूर्णम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कांस्यपात्रम्) ; तत्पुरुष-समासः (घृतेन पूर्णम्)

• प्रयच्छति: gives, offers
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भूमिशय्याव्रते: in the vow of sleeping on the ground
• भूमिशय्याव्रते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + शय्या (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भूमौ शय्या = भूमिशय्या; तस्य व्रतम्)

• देया: to be given
• देया: Predicate (Vidhi/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्), विधेय/आज्ञार्थक; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘देया (भवेत्)’ = should be given

• शय्या: a bed
• शय्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्लक्ष्णा: smooth, soft
• श्लक्ष्णा: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शय्या)

• सतूलिका: with a cushion/mattress
• सतूलिका: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थक) + तूलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शय्या); ‘सतूलिका’ = तूलिकया सह (with a cushion/mattress)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājan) implied by surrounding address in the section

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vrata-observer with simple leaf-plate meal offers a bronze vessel brimming with ghee; nearby, a smooth bed with a rolled mattress is presented as dāna, with a calm hermitage or dharma-assembly backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity should be balanced with compassionate giving—one donates in a way that corresponds to one’s vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the implied sacred setting of the section, where dharma-based gifts are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Donate a bronze vessel filled with ghee for leaf-plate eating; donate a smooth bed with mattress for the ground-sleeping vow.