Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

हन्तकारं मनुष्याश्च पिबंति सततं स्तनम् । एवमध्यापयेदेव वेदानां प्रत्यहं त्रयीम्

Transliteration

hantakāraṃ manuṣyāśca pibaṃti satataṃ stanam | evamadhyāpayedeva vedānāṃ pratyahaṃ trayīm

Translation

ಮನುಷ್ಯರು ‘ಹಂತಾ’ ಎಂಬ ಸ್ತನದಿಂದ ಸದಾ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ, ಹೇ ದೇವ, ವೇದಗಳ ತ್ರಯಿಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿದಿನ ಯಥಾವಿಧಿಯಾಗಿ ಅಧ್ಯಾಪಿಸಬೇಕು।

Word by Word

• हन्तकारम्: the ‘hanta-kāra’ (breast)
• हन्तकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पिबन्ति: drink
• पिबन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• स्तनम्: breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अध्यापयेत्: should cause to study / should teach
• अध्यापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आप (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रयीम्: the triad (of Vedas)
• त्रयीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘deva’ addressed in translation; original vocative suggests instruction to a revered addressee (possibly a king/sage).

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher (ācārya) instructing students in a forest hermitage; above them, the cosmic cow’s fourth teat ‘hantā’ glows, indicating human sustenance through daily Vedic learning.

Characters & Entities

• Manuṣyas
• Trayī (three Vedas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human society is sustained by disciplined learning and transmission of sacred knowledge; daily Vedic study preserves dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tirtha is named; the verse gives a dharmic prescription within Dharmāraṇya’s sanctified teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratyahaṃ trayī-adhyāpana/adhyayana: daily teaching/study of the three Vedas.