Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

साधूनां वर्णिनां राजा न शिरस्कं प्रदापयेत् । न प्रवातेधटं देयं नोष्णकाले हुताशनम्

Transliteration

sādhūnāṃ varṇināṃ rājā na śiraskaṃ pradāpayet | na pravātedhaṭaṃ deyaṃ noṣṇakāle hutāśanam

Translation

Pour les vertueux et les étudiants initiés (varṇins), un roi ne doit pas faire offrir «la tête». Qu’on ne présente pas l’offrande de dhaṭa en un lieu venteux, ni qu’on accomplisse l’offrande au feu (homa) en un temps de chaleur excessive.

Word by Word

• sādhūnām: of the good/virtuous people
• sādhūnām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (साधु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• varṇinām: of the (religious) students/ascetics (varṇins)
• varṇinām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇin (वर्णिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• śiraskam: the head
• śiraskam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (शिरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given / should give
• pradāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-dā (दा धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• pravāte: in a strong wind/draft
• pravāte: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravāta (प्रवात प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन

• dhaṭam: a pot (reading dhaṭa)
• dhaṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhaṭa (धट प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पाठानुसार; अर्थतः 'घटम्' इव—pot)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + ya (यत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'to be given'

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• uṣṇa-kāle: in hot season/time
• uṣṇa-kāle: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उष्णः कालः)

• hutāśanam: fire (the consumer of offerings)
• hutāśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: huta (हुत प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (आशन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य आशनं हुतं सः = अग्निः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) speaking to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king consults priests about proper offerings; a brahmacārin/varṇin stands respectfully; a windy riverside is shown as a place to avoid for a specific offering; a blazing midday sun warns against hot-time homa.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment: gifts and rites must be appropriate to recipient, place, and time, avoiding harm and impropriety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a general code for correct ritual conditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Restrictions on giving the ‘head’ portion to sādhus/varṇins, and prohibitions on certain offerings in wind and on fire rites during extreme heat.