Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सुरापानसमं ज्ञेयं जीवनायैव वा पठेत् । अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः पंचयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

surāpānasamaṃ jñeyaṃ jīvanāyaiva vā paṭhet | agnihotraparityāgaḥ paṃcayajñopakarmaṇām

Translation

जो केवल जीविका के लिए ही (शास्त्र) पढ़े, उसका पाठ सुरापान के समान जानना चाहिए; और अग्निहोत्र तथा पंचमहायज्ञों से सम्बन्धित कर्मों का त्याग भी (वैसा ही पाप) है।

Word by Word

• सुरापानसमम्: equal to drinking liquor
• सुरापानसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरापान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुरापानस्य समम्)

• ज्ञेयम्: should be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/अनिय-भाव, gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• जीवनाय: for livelihood
• जीवनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

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

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः: abandonment of the agnihotra
• अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र + परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्निहोत्रस्य परित्यागः)

• पञ्चयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्: of the rites of the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चयज्ञ + उपकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चयज्ञानाम् उपकर्माणि)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder’s courtyard with three sacred fires; a priest recites with a money-bag nearby (symbol of livelihood-only motive), contrasted with a devout gṛhastha offering oblations; in the background, neglected fire-altar cold and dark to show Agnihotra abandonment.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• Pañcamahāyajña
• Surāpāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred learning and ritual are meant for dharma and inner purification; reducing them to mere livelihood or neglecting daily duties is condemned as a grave fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse focuses on nitya-karma (daily religious duty).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra and duties related to the pañcamahāyajñas are referenced, with a warning against their abandonment.