Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

त्यक्त्वा क्रमागतं विप्रं पूजितं प्रपितामहैः । यो दानं ददतेऽन्यस्मै तस्मै चाऽतुष्टचेतसा

Transliteration

tyaktvā kramāgataṃ vipraṃ pūjitaṃ prapitāmahaiḥ | yo dānaṃ dadate'nyasmai tasmai cā'tuṣṭacetasā

Translation

Délaissant le brāhmaṇa lié à la lignée—honoré par les ancêtres—celui qui fait un don à un autre le fait avec un cœur insatisfait, et l’offrande ne porte pas le fruit voulu.

Word by Word

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), धातु: त्यज्; क्रियाविशेषणभाव (prior action)

• क्रमागतम्: traditionally come / hereditary
• क्रमागतम्: Karma (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रम + आगत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to vipram)

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पूजितम्: honoured / worshipped
• पूजितम्: Karma (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजित (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) विशेषणम् (to vipram)

• प्रपितामहैः: by the great-grandfathers
• प्रपितामहैः: Karana (instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• दानम्: a gift / charity
• दानम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ददते: gives
• ददते: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यस्मै: to another (person)
• अन्यस्मै: Sampradana (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; दान-सम्प्रदानार्थ

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (to him) / Anvaya-correlative
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अतुष्टचेतसा: with a dissatisfied mind
• अतुष्टचेतसा: Karana (instrumental of manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुष्ट + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (चेतस्-शब्दः), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of giver: with dissatisfied mind)

Speaker

Pretāḥ (contextual continuation of the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Householder audience; addressed to a brāhmaṇa as exemplar

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder turns away from the family priest (kula-brāhmaṇa) revered by ancestors and offers gifts to another; the ancestral figures appear displeased, and the giver’s face shows unease.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra
• Prapitāmaha (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites for ancestors should be done with steadiness and respect for established dharmic relationships; fickle giving undermines intention and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where ancestral rites and their proper performance are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not discard the traditionally appointed/lineage-associated brāhmaṇa honored by one’s ancestors when making śrāddha-related gifts.