Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

हव्यं देवा न गृह्णन्ति कव्यं च पितरस्तथा । पूजां गृह्णाति नो सूर्यस्तथा चैव पितामहाः

Transliteration

havyaṃ devā na gṛhṇanti kavyaṃ ca pitarastathā | pūjāṃ gṛhṇāti no sūryastathā caiva pitāmahāḥ

Translation

ആ സമയത്ത് ദേവന്മാർ ഹവ്യം സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല; പിതൃകൾ കവ്യവും സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല; അപ്പോൾ സൂര്യനും പൂജ സ്വീകരിക്കുകയില്ല, പിതാമഹന്മാരും അതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• हव्यम्: oblatory offering (to gods)
• हव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• गृह्णन्ति: accept, take
• गृह्णन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कव्यम्: funerary offering (to ancestors)
• कव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• पूजाम्: worship, offering of honor
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृह्णाति: accepts
• गृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नः: our
• नः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive: 'of us/our')

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पितामहाः: grandfathers; forefathers
• पितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (kāla-śuddhi emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three ritual streams shown failing: a fire-offering rising but turning away from devas, a śrāddha plate not reaching pitṛs, and a Sūrya-arghya rejected—signifying ‘non-acceptance’ due to doṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitaras
• Sūrya
• Pitāmahas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred offerings bear fruit only when aligned with dharma and proper time; otherwise even devas and pitṛs are said not to ‘receive’ them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the broader māhātmya context, though the verse focuses on universal ritual law.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not perform havya/kavya and certain worship at an inauspiciously determined time when acceptance is denied.