Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मंत्रैः सदा देयं पौराणैर्वैदिकैरपि । अन्यथा ते न गृह्णन्ति भूतानामुपतिष्ठति

Transliteration

tasmānmaṃtraiḥ sadā deyaṃ paurāṇairvaidikairapi | anyathā te na gṛhṇanti bhūtānāmupatiṣṭhati

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ദാനം എപ്പോഴും മന്ത്രങ്ങളോടുകൂടി നൽകണം—പൗരാണികമാകട്ടെ വൈദികമാകട്ടെ. അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അവർ അത് സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല; ആ അർപ്പണം ഭൂതഗണങ്ങളിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (reason/therefore)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; हेत्वर्थ (therefore)

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

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kala (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Kriya (injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + yat (यत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be given)

• paurāṇaiḥ: Puranic
• paurāṇaiḥ: Karana (instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paurāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mantraiḥ)

• vaidikaiḥ: Vedic
• vaidikaiḥ: Karana (instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaidika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (mantraiḥ)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (otherwise)

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

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

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

• bhūtānām: of beings
• bhūtānām: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• upatiṣṭhati: attends/stands by (serves)
• upatiṣṭhati: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: लट्; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual gift being offered with mantra as a protective aura; in contrast, shadowy bhūta figures lurk at the margins ready to seize mantra-less offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Paurāṇa-mantra
• Vaidika-mantra
• Bhūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra safeguards and directs the fruit of giving; without it, the intended divine recipients are not reached.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse lays down a general ritual rule.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give dāna with mantras (Purāṇic or Vedic); otherwise the devas/pitṛs do not accept it and it is diverted to bhūtas.