Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

अशक्त्या चाथ पाठस्य यो गृह्णाति धनेन च । स विशेषाद्भवेद्विप्रो वेदवेदांगपारगः

Transliteration

aśaktyā cātha pāṭhasya yo gṛhṇāti dhanena ca | sa viśeṣādbhavedvipro vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ

Translation

И если кто, будучи не в силах читать, совершит это посредством денежного подношения и поддержки, то и он — особенно — станет брахманом, постигшим Веды и Веданги.

Word by Word

• अशक्त्या: due to inability
• अशक्त्या: Hetu/Karana (Cause/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अनन्तर/प्रसङ्गबोधक (particle: then/now)

• पाठस्य: of the recitation
• पाठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• धनेन: with money/wealth
• धनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विशेषात्: especially, in particular
• विशेषात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular); अर्थे—‘विशेषेण’ (especially)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्रः: a Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: one who has mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—वेदेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च पारगः (समाहार/द्वन्द्व-आश्रित उपपद-तत्पुरुषभावः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder offers coins and provisions to learned reciters at a shrine; the recitation continues while the donor bows, indicating participation through support rather than voice.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Vedāṅga
• Dāna (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When personal capacity is limited, supporting sacred acts through charity still yields profound merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The merit statement is tied to the Gaṇapati worship context within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If one cannot recite, one may sponsor/arrange the recitation through financial offering.