Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

बलिपात्रकरे विप्रे यद्यन्योतिथिरागतः । अदत्त्वा तं बलिं तस्मै यथाशक्त्यान्नमर्पयेत्

Transliteration

balipātrakare vipre yadyanyotithirāgataḥ | adattvā taṃ baliṃ tasmai yathāśaktyānnamarpayet

Translation

ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ കൈയിൽ ബലിപാത്രം ഉള്ളപ്പോൾ മറ്റൊരു അതിഥി വന്നാൽ, ആ ബലി അവനു കൊടുക്കാതെ, കഴിവനുസരിച്ച് അന്നം സമർപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• बलि-पात्र-करे: in/with the hand holding the offering-vessel
• बलि-पात्र-करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘बलिपात्रं करे यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (locative absolute sense possible)

• विप्रे: O brāhmaṇa / in the case of a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रे: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे वा (contextually ‘O brāhmaṇa’)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: ‘if’)

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अतिथिः: guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आगतः: arrived
• आगतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √गम् (धातु) क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त: ‘arrived’

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दा (धातु) त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund) नकार-निषेधपूर्वक: ‘without giving’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• बलिम्: offering
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• यथा-शक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• यथा-शक्त्या: Hetu/Prayojana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘शक्त्यानुसारम्’ (according to ability)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अर्पयेत्: should offer
• अर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa holds a bali-vessel ready for offering; at that moment another guest arrives. The householder respectfully refrains from giving the bali to the guest and instead brings separate food to honor him.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Bali
• Atithi (Guest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires both ritual correctness and compassion: keep offerings properly assigned, yet feed the guest generously within means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

As part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the verse reflects the disciplined household dharma celebrated in sacred Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not redirect the bali offering; instead provide separate anna (food) to the arriving atithi according to capacity.