Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सर्पास्थिमंडितग्रीवस्त्यक्त्वा हेमविभूषणम् । भिक्षया भोजनं यस्य कथमन्नं प्रदास्यति

Transliteration

sarpāsthimaṃḍitagrīvastyaktvā hemavibhūṣaṇam | bhikṣayā bhojanaṃ yasya kathamannaṃ pradāsyati

Translation

Son cou est paré de serpents et d’ossements, ayant rejeté les ornements d’or. Lui dont la nourriture vient de l’aumône, comment pourrait-il donner à manger aux autres ?

Word by Word

• सर्पास्थिमण्डितग्रीवः: whose neck is adorned with serpent-bones
• सर्पास्थिमण्डितग्रीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डित (मण्ड् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त) + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्पास्थिभिः मण्डिता ग्रीवा यस्य) (masc. nom. sg.; determinative compound)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• हेमविभूषणम्: gold ornament
• हेमविभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हेमस्य विभूषणम्) (neut. acc. sg.)

• भिक्षया: by/through alms
• भिक्षया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (fem. instr. sg.)

• भोजनम्: food/meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun, gen. sg.)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• अन्नम्: food (cooked rice)
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• प्रदास्यति: will give
• प्रदास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (दा धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (will give)

Speaker

Dakṣa (continuing criticism; inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with a garland/necklace of serpents and bone ornaments, no gold jewelry; a skull-bowl suggests bhikṣā. Dakṣa’s words can be shown as a speech-scroll while Śiva’s calm radiance contradicts the insult; Satī’s face shows pain and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renunciation is not poverty of spirit; the divine giver is not limited by external ascetic appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it is part of the narrative that supports the māhātmya setting of Vastrāpathakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse indirectly touches on annadāna (giving food) as a value by questioning it polemically.