Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तदप्यहो चातिकष्ट हेतुना तेन मे मतम् । अयं प्रतिग्रहो घोरो मध्वास्वादो विषोपमः

Transliteration

tadapyaho cātikaṣṭa hetunā tena me matam | ayaṃ pratigraho ghoro madhvāsvādo viṣopamaḥ

Translation

Doch selbst das, ach, erscheint mir als ein Weg schwerster Mühsal — so lautet mein Urteil. Diese Annahme von Gaben ist schrecklich: im Geschmack süß wie Honig, doch in der Folge dem Gift gleich.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विषय-निर्देशः (that)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• aho: alas!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयाद्यर्थक-अव्यय (interjection: alas/oh)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• atikaṣṭaṃ: very difficult
• atikaṣṭaṃ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (very difficult/very hard)

• hetunā: by the cause/reason
• hetunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: by reason/cause)

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: by that/therefore)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: my)

• matam: opinion, view
• matam: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √man 'to think' PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक/मत-शब्दः (opinion)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Demonstrative pronoun)

• pratigrahaḥ: acceptance (of gifts)
• pratigrahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-graha (प्रातिपदिक; from prati-√grah)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• ghoraḥ: terrible
• ghoraḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with pratigrahaḥ)

• madhu-āsvādaḥ: honey-taste (sweet at first)
• madhu-āsvādaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + āsvāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधुनः आस्वादः) (Nominative singular)

• viṣa-upamaḥ: like poison
• viṣa-upamaḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषस्य उपमः/उपमितः) (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a bowl of honey beside a vial of poison; a brāhmaṇa reaches, then withdraws, choosing restraint; behind him a faint aura of dharma, ahead a shadow of bondage.

Characters & Entities

• pratigraha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material benefit can hide spiritual peril; receiving gifts may bind one through obligation, pride, or impurity despite its sweetness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is an ethical reflection on pratigraha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions against pratigraha (accepting gifts), implying restraint and careful discernment for those pursuing dharma.