Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

वृत्तिरध्यापनाच्चैव तथा स्वल्पप्रतिग्रहात् । विप्रः समर्थस्तपसा यद्यपि स्यात्प्रतिग्रहे

Transliteration

vṛttiradhyāpanāccaiva tathā svalpapratigrahāt | vipraḥ samarthastapasā yadyapi syātpratigrahe

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କ ଜୀବିକା ଅଧ୍ୟାପନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଅଳ୍ପ ଦାନ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରି ହେବା ଉଚିତ; ତପୋବଳରେ ଅଧିକ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବାକୁ ସମର୍ଥ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• vṛttiḥ: livelihood; means of subsistence
• vṛttiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• adhyāpanāt: from teaching
• adhyāpanāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāpana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

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

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Hetu/Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: likewise)

• svalpa-pratigrahāt: from small acceptance of gifts
• svalpa-pratigrahāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svalpa + pratigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'svalpaḥ pratigrahaḥ' (small acceptance)

• vipraḥ: a Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samarthaḥ: capable; competent
• samarthaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tapasā: by austerity; through penance
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• api: even; although
• api: Sambandha (Concession)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (concessive/also)

• syāt: may be; should be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• pratigrahe: in accepting (gifts)
• pratigrahe: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage instructs on brāhmaṇa livelihood: palm-leaf texts, students seated, a small offering bowl indicating ‘sv-alpa pratigraha’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority is protected by restraint—especially restraint in accepting wealth—even when one has the power or status to obtain more.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the moral framework commonly embedded in tīrtha-māhātmya narratives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes right livelihood: teaching as a dharmic profession and accepting only limited gifts (svalpa-pratigraha).