Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 162

Devanagari script

विना मंत्रैश्च यद्दत्तं न तद्गृह्णन्ति तेऽमलाः । श्रुतिरप्यत्र प्राहेदं मंत्राणां विषये नृप

Transliteration

vinā maṃtraiśca yaddattaṃ na tadgṛhṇanti te'malāḥ | śrutirapyatra prāhedaṃ maṃtrāṇāṃ viṣaye nṛpa

Translation

മന്ത്രങ്ങളില്ലാതെ നൽകിയ ദാനം ആ നിർമലർ സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല. ഹേ രാജാവേ! മന്ത്രവിഷയത്തിൽ ശ്രുതിയും ഇവിടെ ഇതേ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (relation/without)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like indeclinable)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras (by mantras)
• mantraiḥ: Karana (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (object predicate: given)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• gṛhṇanti: (they) accept/take
• gṛhṇanti: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• amalāḥ: pure/spotless
• amalāḥ: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'te')

• śrutiḥ: the Śruti (Vedic revelation)
• śrutiḥ: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• prāha: said/declared
• prāha: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (आह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mantrāṇām: of mantras
• mantrāṇām: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• viṣaye: in the matter/subject
• viṣaye: Adhikarana (topic/domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm instructional scene: a king seated respectfully before a fierce-yet-auspicious Mahākāla teacher; a dāna setting with vessels, kuśa, and ritual implements; emphasis on spoken mantra as luminous syllables.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Mantra
• Nṛpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts must be sanctified by mantra; tradition grounds this in śruti (Vedic authority).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is doctrinal about mantra and acceptance of gifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not give offerings/dāna without mantras; the pure recipients do not accept such gifts.