Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । पात्राणामुत्तमं पात्रं वेदाचारपरायणम् । तस्मादप्यधिकं पात्रं शूद्रान्नं यस्य नोदरे

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | pātrāṇāmuttamaṃ pātraṃ vedācāraparāyaṇam | tasmādapyadhikaṃ pātraṃ śūdrānnaṃ yasya nodare

Translation

വസിഷ്ഠൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പാത്രങ്ങളിൽ ഉത്തമപാത്രം വേദാചാരത്തിൽ പരായണനായവൻ. അതിലും ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ, ആരുടെ ഉദരത്തിൽ ശൂദ്രാന്നം പ്രവേശിക്കാത്തവൻ (അർത്ഥം: ഉപജീവനം ശുദ്ധം).

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पात्राणाम्: of recipients/vessels
• पात्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उत्तमम्: best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom./Acc. Sg.)

• पात्रम्: recipient (worthy person)
• पात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom./Acc. Sg.)

• वेदाचार: Veda and right conduct
• वेदाचार: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (Veda and conduct); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• परायणम्: devoted, wholly intent
• परायणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (Nom./Acc. Sg.)

• वेदाचारपरायणम्: devoted to Vedic learning and conduct
• वेदाचारपरायणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदाचार (द्वन्द्व-समास) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (devoted to Veda-and-conduct); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• तस्मात्: than that / from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: even/also)

• अधिकम्: greater, superior
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• पात्रम्: recipient
• पात्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• शूद्र: Śūdra
• शूद्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• शूद्रान्नम्: Śūdra-food
• शूद्रान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (food of/associated with a Śūdra); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचन (Acc. Sg.)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• उदरे: in the belly
• उदरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नोदरे: not in (his) belly
• नोदरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न (अव्यय) + उदरे (उदर, सप्तमी-एकवचन)
• Form: संधि-रूप; 'न' निषेध-निपात + 'उदरे' (Loc. Sg.)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Dilīpa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha enumerates the hierarchy of worthy recipients: devotion to Vedic conduct, and superior purity of sustenance—symbolizing uncompromised dharmic living.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The merit of dāna depends on the recipient’s dhārmic discipline—especially adherence to sacred conduct and purity of livelihood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears in Setukhaṇḍa, aligning ethical dāna with tīrtha-based dharma at Setu (Rāmeśvaram region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Choose a recipient devoted to Vedic conduct and (per the text) strict rules of dietary/occupational purity.