Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

अग्निहोत्री तपस्वी च क्षणवान्क्रियते यदि । अग्निहोत्रं तपश्चैव सर्वं तद्धनिनो धनम्

Transliteration

agnihotrī tapasvī ca kṣaṇavānkriyate yadi | agnihotraṃ tapaścaiva sarvaṃ taddhanino dhanam

Translation

ଯଦି ଅଗ୍ନିହୋତ୍ରୀ ଓ ତପସ୍ବୀ ଆବଶ୍ୟକତାବଶତଃ କ୍ଷଣମାତ୍ର ମଧ୍ୟ ପରାଧୀନ ହୁଅନ୍ତି, ତେବେ ତାଙ୍କର ଅଗ୍ନିହୋତ୍ର ଓ ତପ—ସବୁ ଯେନ ଧନୀର ଧନ ହୋଇଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• अग्निहोत्री: an agnihotrin (fire-ritual performer)
• अग्निहोत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘अग्निहोत्रं करोति’ इति (agnihotra-performer)

• तपस्वी: an ascetic
• तपस्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• क्षणवान्: momentary, short-lived
• क्षणवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (having only a moment/temporary)

• क्रियते: is made/comes to be
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/only)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• धनिनः: of the wealthy man
• धनिनः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic Agnihotrin beside a small sacred fire and an ascetic with matted hair stand at a wealthy patron’s doorway; the patron’s overflowing granary contrasts with the ascetic’s begging bowl, conveying the moral tension of dependence.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice requires integrity and independence; dependence driven by need can compromise the ownership of one’s merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where dharma is explained with practical cautions for householders and renunciants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution regarding Agnihotra and tapas: avoid becoming beholden through need, lest the fruit of rites be treated as belonging to the patron.