Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहस्य स्वीकारं कथं कुर्याम ह द्विजाः । न तांबूलं स्त्रीकृतं नो ह्यद्मो दानेन भषितम्

Transliteration

pratigrahasya svīkāraṃ kathaṃ kuryāma ha dvijāḥ | na tāṃbūlaṃ strīkṛtaṃ no hyadmo dānena bhaṣitam

Translation

«Ô deux-fois-nés, comment pourrions-nous accepter des présents ? Nous ne prenons même pas le bétel préparé par une femme, et nous ne mangeons pas ce qui est souillé par un don inapproprié.»

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहस्य: of accepting (a gift)
• प्रतिग्रहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• स्वीकारम्: acceptance
• स्वीकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वीकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• कुर्याम: should I do/make
• कुर्याम: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed/oh
• ह: Kriya-anubandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधन/विस्मयादि निपात (particle, often emphatic)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (addressing)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• ताम्बूलम्: betel (leaf)
• ताम्बूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• स्त्री-कृतम्: made by a woman
• स्त्री-कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘कृत’; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्त्रियाः कृतम्)

• नः: for us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचन/चतुर्थी (4th) बहुवचन—एतस्मिन् प्रसङ्गे षष्ठी (our) अधिकयुक्ता

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Kriya-anubandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (for/indeed)

• अद्मः: we eat
• अद्मः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; छान्दस/वैदिकरूपम् ‘अद्मः’ = ‘अद्मस्/अद्मः’ (we eat)

• दानेन: by/with a gift
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• भषितम्: spoken/uttered
• भषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भषित (कृदन्त; √भष्/√भाष् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the Vāḍava brāhmaṇas/ascetics articulating strict conduct)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Austere dvijas in a forest hermitage refuse gifts with calm firmness; simple vessels, kusa grass, and a restrained setting emphasize purity and vow-keeping.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Pratigraha
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life requires discernment in receiving; purity of livelihood and intention is treated as essential to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Dharmāraṇya, where dharma-oriented conduct is highlighted as part of the place’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restraint is implied: avoidance of improper acceptance (pratigraha) and consumption associated with questionable gifting.