Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सुपात्रं नौरिव सदा तारयेदुभयोरपि । लोहपिंडोपमं ज्ञेयं कुपात्रं भञ्जनात्मकम्

Transliteration

supātraṃ nauriva sadā tārayedubhayorapi | lohapiṃḍopamaṃ jñeyaṃ kupātraṃ bhañjanātmakam

Translation

സുപാത്രൻ എപ്പോഴും നാവുപോലെ ദാതാവിനെയും ഗ്രാഹകനെയും ഇരുവരെയും കടത്തിവിടുന്നു. കുപാത്രനെ ഇരുമ്പുകട്ടിപോലെ അറിയുക; അത് നാശകരമാണ്।

Word by Word

• सुपात्रम्: a worthy recipient
• सुपात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सु-पात्रम् = उत्तमं पात्रम्)

• नौः: a boat
• नौः: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Avyaya (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Avyaya (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तारयेत्: would ferry across, should save
• तारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उभयोः: of both (sides/parties)
• उभयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• लोह: iron
• लोह: Upapada (in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (पिण्ड इति विशेषणार्थे)

• पिण्ड: lump, mass
• पिण्ड: Upapada (in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; (उपमम् इति विशेषणार्थे)

• उपमम्: comparable to, like
• उपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कुपात्रम्)

• ज्ञेयम्: should be known (as)
• ज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) ; ज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (gerundive: 'to be known')

• कुपात्रम्: an unworthy recipient
• कुपात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (कु-पात्रम् = दुष्टं/अयोग्यं पात्रम्)

• भञ्जन: breaking, destruction
• भञ्जन: Upapada (in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √भञ्ज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (आत्मकं इति पूर्वपद)

• आत्मकम्: of the nature of
• आत्मकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कुपात्रम्)

Speaker

Rāma (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: river/ghat (metaphorical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: on one side, a donor and a worthy brāhmaṇa in a boat crossing a river safely; on the other, an iron lump dragging a boat down, representing the unworthy recipient causing sinking/ruin.

Characters & Entities

• Supātra
• Kupātra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The moral quality of the recipient shapes the spiritual outcome of charity; a worthy recipient uplifts both parties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is named in this verse; it is an ethical maxim within Dharmāraṇya’s discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Discernment in dāna: choose a supātra; avoid kupātra to prevent loss of merit and spiritual harm.