Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अनादाता च दाता च दांतः स्वाध्यायतत्परः । वैतानिकं च जुहुयादग्निहोत्रं यथाविधि

Transliteration

anādātā ca dātā ca dāṃtaḥ svādhyāyatatparaḥ | vaitānikaṃ ca juhuyādagnihotraṃ yathāvidhi

Translation

അവശ്യക്കമില്ലാത്ത ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കാത്തവനായി, എന്നാൽ സ്വയം ദാതാവായി; ഇന്ദ്രിയസംയമത്തോടെ സ്വാധ്യായത്തിൽ തത്പരനായി; വിധിപൂർവ്വം വൈതാനിക കർമ്മങ്ങളിൽ ആഹുതി അർപ്പിച്ച്, നിയമാനുസാരം അഗ്നിഹോത്രം നിർവഹിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अनादाता: not accepting (gifts)
• अनादाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्- (नञ्) + आदाता (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गार्थ—न आदाता (non-taker)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• दाता: giver
• दाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) + तृच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तरि तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• दान्तः: self-controlled
• दान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: devoted to self-study (Vedic recitation)
• स्वाध्यायतत्परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—स्वाध्याये तत्परः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• वैतानिकम्: the Vaitānika rite (Vedic ritual)
• वैतानिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मपद (यज्ञकर्म)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• जुहुयात्: should offer (into fire)
• जुहुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra (fire-oblation)
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + होत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—अग्नौ होत्रम् (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed rule
• यथाविधि: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (according to rule)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined vānaprastha performs agnihotra at dawn: ladle poised over the fire, Vedic text nearby; he offers with precision, while a simple donation of food/water is prepared for a passerby—showing ‘not a taker, yet a giver’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agnihotra
• Svādhyāya
• Vaitānika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of motive: the forest-dweller restrains desire, studies sacred knowledge, and sustains worship through disciplined ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is specified in this verse; it is normative dharma instruction within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Vaitānika offerings and Agnihotra in the proper manner; maintain svādhyāya.