Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

हन्तकारं मनुष्याश्च पिबंति सततं स्तनम् । एवमध्यापयेदेव वेदानां प्रत्यहं त्रयीम्

Transliteration

hantakāraṃ manuṣyāśca pibaṃti satataṃ stanam | evamadhyāpayedeva vedānāṃ pratyahaṃ trayīm

Translation

Los seres humanos beben sin cesar del pezón llamado “hantā”. Así, oh Señor, debe enseñarse cada día la tríada de los Vedas, para que se conserve este orden sustentador.

Word by Word

• हन्तकारम्: the ‘hanta-kāra’ (breast)
• हन्तकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पिबन्ति: drink
• पिबन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• स्तनम्: breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अध्यापयेत्: should cause to study / should teach
• अध्यापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आप (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रयीम्: the triad (of Vedas)
• त्रयीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘deva’ addressed in translation; original vocative suggests instruction to a revered addressee (possibly a king/sage).

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher (ācārya) instructing students in a forest hermitage; above them, the cosmic cow’s fourth teat ‘hantā’ glows, indicating human sustenance through daily Vedic learning.

Characters & Entities

• Manuṣyas
• Trayī (three Vedas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human society is sustained by disciplined learning and transmission of sacred knowledge; daily Vedic study preserves dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tirtha is named; the verse gives a dharmic prescription within Dharmāraṇya’s sanctified teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratyahaṃ trayī-adhyāpana/adhyayana: daily teaching/study of the three Vedas.