Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नैव प्रतिग्राह्यं किमन्यैर्ब्राह्मणैरपि । द्विप्रकारस्य तीर्थस्य कृतस्याप्यकृतस्य च

Transliteration

tasmānnaiva pratigrāhyaṃ kimanyairbrāhmaṇairapi | dviprakārasya tīrthasya kṛtasyāpyakṛtasya ca

Translation

C’est pourquoi il ne faut pas accepter de dons—à plus forte raison pour les autres brāhmaṇas—que le tīrtha soit de type « fait » ou « non fait / auto-manifesté ».

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपं, अव्ययीभावेन हेतौ/अपादाने (ablatival adverbial: 'therefore/from that')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/only)

• प्रतिग्राह्यम्: to be accepted (as a gift)
• प्रतिग्राह्यम्: Karma (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-√ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—'ग्रहणीयम्/स्वीकार्यं' (to be accepted)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Prashna (Interrogative object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative: what?)

• अन्यैः: by other
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive by-phrase)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural: by other)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive by-phrase)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (by Brahmins)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• द्विप्रकारस्य: of two kinds
• द्विप्रकारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of two kinds)

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (of a pilgrimage/holy place/rite)

• कृतस्य: of the performed
• कृतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of what is done/performed)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• अकृतस्य: of the unperformed
• अकृतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ- + √कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of what is not done/unperformed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two tīrthas shown side-by-side: one with a built ghat/temple (kṛta), another as a natural spring/river bend (akṛta). A brāhmaṇa stands with palms turned inward in refusal, signifying the niṣedha of accepting gifts.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• tīrtha
• kṛta/akṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At tīrthas, purity of intention is paramount; accepting gifts is broadly discouraged to protect sanctity and integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is situated in Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, though it generalizes to all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prohibition: do not accept gifts (pratigrāha) at tīrthas, whether constructed or self-manifest.