Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पठनं ब्रह्मयज्ञः स्यात्तर्पणं च पितृक्रतुः । होमो दैवो बलिर्भौत आतिथ्यं नृक्रतुः क्रमात्

Transliteration

paṭhanaṃ brahmayajñaḥ syāttarpaṇaṃ ca pitṛkratuḥ | homo daivo balirbhauta ātithyaṃ nṛkratuḥ kramāt

Translation

L’étude et la récitation sont le Brahma-yajña ; le tarpaṇa, offrande d’eau, est le rite des ancêtres ; l’oblation au feu est le Deva-yajña ; l’offrande de nourriture (bali) est le Bhūta-yajña ; et l’accueil de l’hôte est le Nṛ (Manuṣya)-yajña — ainsi, selon l’ordre prescrit.

Word by Word

• पठनम्: study/recitation
• पठनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पठन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मयज्ञः: Brahma-yajña (Vedic study as a sacrifice)
• ब्रह्मयज्ञः: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मयज्ञ = ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sacrifice to/for Brahman/Veda)

• स्यात्: should be / is to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: offering of water/oblation (tarpana)
• तर्पणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction), अव्यय

• पितृक्रतुः: ancestral rite
• पितृक्रतुः: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृक्रतु = पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rite for the ancestors)

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दैवः: pertaining to the gods
• दैवः: Pradhana (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बलिः: food-offering (bali)
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भौतः: for beings/creatures
• भौतः: Pradhana (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality to a guest
• आतिथ्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नृक्रतुः: human/guest-rite
• नृक्रतुः: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृक्रतु = नृ (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rite for men/guests)

• क्रमात्: in order / successively
• क्रमात्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे तृतीया-एकवचन (instrumental used adverbially)

Speaker

Deductive (sectional narration; likely Sūta speaking in a dharma-teaching passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Five-fold ritual montage: a scholar reciting Veda, a person offering water with kuśa for ancestors, a homa fire with ladle, a bali offering placed for creatures, and a guest being welcomed and fed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily life becomes sacred when one repays five fundamental debts—toward sages, ancestors, gods, beings, and humans—through the five yajñas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse outlines universal gṛhastha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It defines the pañca-yajña: study (brahma-yajña), tarpaṇa (pitṛ), homa (deva), bali (bhūta), and hospitality (nṛ/manuṣya).