Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

साधूनां वर्णिनां राजा न शिरस्कं प्रदापयेत् । न प्रवातेधटं देयं नोष्णकाले हुताशनम्

Transliteration

sādhūnāṃ varṇināṃ rājā na śiraskaṃ pradāpayet | na pravātedhaṭaṃ deyaṃ noṣṇakāle hutāśanam

Translation

Für die Tugendhaften und die eingeweihten Schüler (varṇin) soll ein König nicht veranlassen, dass «der Kopf» gegeben wird. Man soll die dhaṭa-Gabe nicht an einem windigen Ort darbringen und das Feueropfer (homa) nicht zur übermäßigen Hitzezeit vollziehen.

Word by Word

• sādhūnām: of the good/virtuous people
• sādhūnām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (साधु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• varṇinām: of the (religious) students/ascetics (varṇins)
• varṇinām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇin (वर्णिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• śiraskam: the head
• śiraskam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (शिरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should give
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-dā (दा धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• pravāte: in a strong wind/draft
• pravāte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravāta (प्रवात प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन

• dhaṭam: a pot (reading dhaṭa)
• dhaṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhaṭa (धट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पाठानुसार; अर्थतः 'घटम्' इव—pot)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + ya (यत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be given'

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• uṣṇa-kāle: in hot season/time
• uṣṇa-kāle: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उष्णः कालः)

• hutāśanam: fire (the consumer of offerings)
• hutāśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huta (हुत प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (आशन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य आशनं हुतं सः = अग्निः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king consults priests about proper offerings; a brahmacārin/varṇin stands respectfully; a windy riverside is shown as a place to avoid for a specific offering; a blazing midday sun warns against hot-time homa.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment: gifts and rites must be appropriate to recipient, place, and time, avoiding harm and impropriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a general code for correct ritual conditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Restrictions on giving the ‘head’ portion to sādhus/varṇins, and prohibitions on certain offerings in wind and on fire rites during extreme heat.