Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सर्पास्थिमंडितग्रीवस्त्यक्त्वा हेमविभूषणम् । भिक्षया भोजनं यस्य कथमन्नं प्रदास्यति

Transliteration

sarpāsthimaṃḍitagrīvastyaktvā hemavibhūṣaṇam | bhikṣayā bhojanaṃ yasya kathamannaṃ pradāsyati

Translation

Sein Hals ist mit Schlangen und Knochen geschmückt, nachdem er goldenen Schmuck abgelegt hat. Er, dessen Speise durch Almosen erlangt wird—wie könnte er anderen Speise darreichen?

Word by Word

• सर्पास्थिमण्डितग्रीवः: whose neck is adorned with serpent-bones
• सर्पास्थिमण्डितग्रीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डित (मण्ड् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्पास्थिभिः मण्डिता ग्रीवा यस्य) (masc. nom. sg.; determinative compound)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• हेमविभूषणम्: gold ornament
• हेमविभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हेमस्य विभूषणम्) (neut. acc. sg.)

• भिक्षया: by/through alms
• भिक्षया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (fem. instr. sg.)

• भोजनम्: food/meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun, gen. sg.)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• अन्नम्: food (cooked rice)
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• प्रदास्यति: will give
• प्रदास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (दा धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (will give)

Speaker

Dakṣa (continuing criticism; inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with a garland/necklace of serpents and bone ornaments, no gold jewelry; a skull-bowl suggests bhikṣā. Dakṣa’s words can be shown as a speech-scroll while Śiva’s calm radiance contradicts the insult; Satī’s face shows pain and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation is not poverty of spirit; the divine giver is not limited by external ascetic appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is part of the narrative that supports the māhātmya setting of Vastrāpathakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse indirectly touches on annadāna (giving food) as a value by questioning it polemically.