Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

एते च ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे लोभोपहतचेतसः । होमं प्रकुर्वते ये च मखे चापि विगर्हिते

Transliteration

ete ca brāhmaṇāḥ sarve lobhopahatacetasaḥ | homaṃ prakurvate ye ca makhe cāpi vigarhite

Translation

Et tous ces brāhmanes, l’esprit frappé par l’avidité — ceux qui accomplissent l’oblation au feu même dans un sacrifice blâmable —

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — demonstrative pronoun ‘these’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — adjective qualifying ब्राह्मणाः

• लोभोपहतचेतसः: with minds afflicted by greed
• लोभोपहतचेतसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक) + upahata (हन् धातु + क्त) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — ‘whose minds are struck by greed’; समासः (तत्पुरुषः: लोभेन उपहतं चेतः येषाम्)

• होमम्: oblation/ritual offering
• होमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — object

• प्रकुर्वते: they perform
• प्रकुर्वते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘they perform’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — relative pronoun ‘who’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• मखे: in the sacrifice
• मखे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative ‘in the sacrifice’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘also/even’

• विगर्हिते: in the censured (one)
• विगर्हिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-garh (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative ‘in the censured (rite)’; agrees with मखे

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice condemning greedy ritualists)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas around the fire altar, eyes drawn toward coins/dakṣiṇā; the homa continues despite an ominous aura marking the sacrifice as blameworthy.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• homa
• makha (yajña)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without integrity—especially driven by greed—is censured; dharma prioritizes purity of motive over mere performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions homa in a makha (yajña) but frames it as blameworthy when performed under corrupt motives.