Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अन्नहीनो दहेद्राष्ट्रं मन्त्रहीनस्तु ऋत्विजः । दातारं दक्षिणाहीनो नास्ति यज्ञसमो रिपुः

Transliteration

annahīno dahedrāṣṭraṃ mantrahīnastu ṛtvijaḥ | dātāraṃ dakṣiṇāhīno nāsti yajñasamo ripuḥ

Translation

Un yajña privé de nourriture peut consumer un royaume ; un ṛtvij dépourvu de mantras ruine le rite ; et lorsque la dakṣiṇā manque, elle blesse le donateur. Nul ennemi n’égale un sacrifice défectueux.

Word by Word

• अन्नहीनः: one lacking food
• अन्नहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अन्नेन हीनः = lacking food)

• दहेत्: should burn
• दहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should burn)

• राष्ट्रम्: the kingdom
• राष्ट्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मन्त्रहीनः: one lacking mantra
• मन्त्रहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रेण हीनः = lacking mantra)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• दातारम्: the giver/patron
• दातारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• दक्षिणाहीनः: one lacking dakṣiṇā (fee)
• दक्षिणाहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणया हीनः = lacking fee)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्ञसमः: equal to a sacrifice
• यज्ञसमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञेन समः = equal to a sacrifice)

• रिपुः: enemy
• रिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (the king) (continuing his concern about ritual defects)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: the yajña pavilion with three symbolic lacks—empty grain baskets, a priest with closed/forgotten mantra scrolls, and an unoffered dakṣiṇā tray—while ominous smoke curls, suggesting the rite turning hostile.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Ṛtvij
• Dakṣiṇā
• Rāṣṭra
• Dātā (Yajamāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred actions must be complete and properly supported; negligence in yajña becomes self-destructive, harming society and the patron.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse is a dharma-warning within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure sufficiency of anna (offerings/food), correctness of mantras, and due dakṣiṇā to priests to prevent ritual ‘harm’.