Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो यजमानो वा ब्रह्मचर्यं विना यदि । भुंक्ते दद्याच्च यच्छ्राद्धं तद्राजन्व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo yajamāno vā brahmacaryaṃ vinā yadi | bhuṃkte dadyācca yacchrāddhaṃ tadrājanvyarthatāṃ vrajet

Translation

Ô Roi, si le brāhmane (officiant ou récipiendaire) ou le yajamāna (sacrifiant), dépourvu de brahmacarya (continence et discipline), mange ou donne au cours du śrāddha, alors ce śrāddha devient vain.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin (priest)
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यजमानः: the sacrificer/host
• यजमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक; from √यज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy/continence
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (without); सह द्वितीया

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional ‘if’)

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (sandhi in dadyācca)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक ‘which’ (sandhi in yacchrāddham)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (sandhi in tadrājan)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• व्यर्थताम्: futility
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati (Goal/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would become/go to
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan/nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king receiving instruction: a sage points to two figures—yajamāna and brāhmaṇa—both observing disciplined posture and restraint; a contrasting vignette shows lax conduct leading to ritual nullity.

Characters & Entities

• Rājan (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner discipline (brahmacarya) safeguards the sanctity of offerings; ritual power depends on ethical restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a conduct rule within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During śrāddha, both patron and brāhmaṇa should maintain brahmacarya/discipline; otherwise the rite loses merit.