Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

यथैवाश्माश्मनाबद्धो निक्षिप्तो वारिमध्यतः । द्वावेतौ निधनं यातस्तद्वदन्नमपात्रके

Transliteration

yathaivāśmāśmanābaddho nikṣipto vārimadhyataḥ | dvāvetau nidhanaṃ yātastadvadannamapātrake

Translation

ഒരു കല്ലിനെ മറ്റൊരു കല്ലിൽ കെട്ടി വെള്ളത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ എറിഞ്ഞാൽ രണ്ടും മുങ്ങി നശിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, അപാത്രനു നൽകിയ അന്നം ദാതാവിനെയും ഗ്രഹീതാവിനെയും ഇരുവരെയും നാശത്തിലേക്ക് നയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamāna-sūcaka (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• अश्मा: a stone
• अश्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अश्मना: with a stone
• अश्मना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental)

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘bound/tied’

• निक्षिप्तः: thrown
• निक्षिप्तः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-क्षिप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्षिप् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘thrown/placed’

• वारि: of water
• वारि: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive)

• मध्यतः: from/in the middle
• मध्यतः: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन; संख्या-विशेषणम् (एतौ)

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन

• निधनम्: destruction, death
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• यातः: have gone (to)
• यातः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; भूतकालिक-कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचनार्थे (पाठे ‘यातः’ एकवचनरूपं, अर्थतः द्विवचन-सम्बन्धः); ‘have gone’

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Upamāna-sūcaka (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (in the same way)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• अपात्रके: in/for an unworthy person
• अपात्रके: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-पात्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (unworthy recipient)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context of dialogue in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two stones tied together plunge into a deep river; in parallel, a donor hands food to a visibly unfit recipient (cruel/violent demeanor), and both are shown metaphorically sinking—didactic allegory.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be guided by discernment; giving to the unworthy harms both parties spiritually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader teaching occurs in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred geography), though this verse focuses on dāna ethics rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution regarding anna-dāna: do not offer food as a gift to an apātra (unfit recipient).