Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

त्रिधा नौमित्तिकं प्रोक्तं सदा होमविवर्जितम् । इति प्रोक्ताः प्रकारास्ते त्रैविध्यमभिधीयते

Transliteration

tridhā naumittikaṃ proktaṃ sadā homavivarjitam | iti proktāḥ prakārāste traividhyamabhidhīyate

Translation

Le don naimittika (occasionnel, fondé sur une cause) est déclaré triple, et l’on dit qu’il s’accomplit sans faire du homa (oblation au feu) une obligation constante. Ainsi, ces modes énoncés sont appelés une classification en trois formes.

Word by Word

• त्रिधा: in three ways / threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘त्रिधा’ = threefoldly

• नैमित्तिकम्: occasional; based on a specific occasion
• नैमित्तिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘(दानम्/विधानम्)’ understood)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared / has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• होम-विवर्जितम्: devoid of homa (fire-offering)
• होम-विवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त; वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: होमस्य विवर्जितम् = devoid of homa); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरणसूचक/quotative particle)

• प्रोक्ताः: are stated
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘(they) are said’

• प्रकाराः: types; modes
• प्रकाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative qualifier/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• त्रैविध्यम्: threefoldness; threefold classification
• त्रैविध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैविध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अभिधीयते: is called / is described
• अभिधीयते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is called/ is expressed’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm instructional scene: a seated ācārya explaining threefold naimittika-dāna to attentive householders; palm-leaf manuscripts, a simple altar present but no active homa fire, emphasizing ‘homa-vivarjita’.

Characters & Entities

• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity can be categorized systematically; certain forms of cause-based giving are valid even without obligatory fire-ritual accompaniment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the verse is a doctrinal classification of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Naimittika dāna is taught as threefold and not invariably tied to homa.