Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वैदिकं च पुरस्कृत्य ब्राह्मणाः शूद्रयाजकाः । दरिद्रिणो भविष्यंति प्रतिग्रहरताः सदा

Transliteration

vaidikaṃ ca puraskṛtya brāhmaṇāḥ śūdrayājakāḥ | daridriṇo bhaviṣyaṃti pratigraharatāḥ sadā

Translation

Sous le prétexte de l’autorité védique, les brāhmaṇas qui officient des sacrifices pour les śūdras deviendront indigents, toujours adonnés à recevoir des dons.

Word by Word

• वैदिकम्: the Vedic (authority)
• वैदिकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (vaidikaṃ = Vedic (thing/authority))

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having put forward
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-√कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त) अव्ययकृदन्त; अर्थः—पुरतः कृत्वा/अग्रे कृत्वा (having put forward)

• ब्राह्मणाः: brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शूद्रयाजकाः: priests who officiate for śūdras
• शूद्रयाजकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र-याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य याजकाः—priests for śūdras)

• दरिद्रिणः: poor
• दरिद्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/साधारण भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रतिग्रहरताः: devoted to accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिग्रह-रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रतिग्रहे रताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

Speaker

Nandin (deduced from surrounding narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a priest wearing Vedic insignia accepts gifts repeatedly, his household turning poor and anxious; behind, a radiant ideal brāhmaṇa studies calmly—contrast of greed vs integrity.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śūdra
• Veda
• Pratigraha (accepting gifts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious authority used as a pretext for livelihood and greed leads to spiritual and social decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-kṣetra frame continues, but the verse itself is a moral warning within that pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive rite is prescribed; it cautions against improper officiation and excessive attachment to gifts (pratigraha).