Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

न ग्राह्यं तैजसं पात्रं भिक्षुकेण कदाचन । वराटके संगृहीते तत्रतत्र दिनेदिने

Transliteration

na grāhyaṃ taijasaṃ pātraṃ bhikṣukeṇa kadācana | varāṭake saṃgṛhīte tatratatra dinedine

Translation

Un mendiant ne doit jamais accepter un récipient de métal. Qu’il recueille, çà et là, des cauris‑monnaie, jour après jour.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• ग्राह्यम्: to be taken/accepted
• ग्राह्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ (‘to be taken/acceptable’) (neuter nom sg)

• तैजसम्: metallic (shining)
• तैजसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom sg; made of metal/bright)

• पात्रम्: vessel/bowl
• पात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• भिक्षुकेण: by a mendicant
• भिक्षुकेण: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental, singular)

• कदाचन: ever
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ever/at any time)

• वराटके: in/with a cowrie (coin)
• वराटके: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, locative, singular)

• संगृहीते: when collected/accumulated
• संगृहीते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ग्रह् (धातु) → संगृहीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute: ‘when/if collected’)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: there)

• तत्र: here and there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (reduplication for distributive sense)

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• दिने: day by day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (locative; distributive: day by day)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims in frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bhikṣu refuses a shining metal pot offered by a patron, instead holding a simple non-metal bowl; he gathers a few cowries from different homes each day, remaining unburdened.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Bhikṣu (mendicant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-possessiveness is maintained by avoiding valuable implements and by keeping one’s needs minimal and incremental.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s portrayal of disciplined ascetic life in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not use a metal vessel; collect only small amounts (varāṭaka) from place to place each day.