Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सन्ध्यां नोपासते यस्तु ब्राह्मणो मन्दबुद्धिमान् । स जीवन्नेव शूद्रः स्यान्मृतः श्वा सम्प्रजायते

Transliteration

sandhyāṃ nopāsate yastu brāhmaṇo mandabuddhimān | sa jīvanneva śūdraḥ syānmṛtaḥ śvā samprajāyate

Translation

சந்த்யா உபாசனை செய்யாத மந்தபுத்தியுள்ள பிராமணன், உயிரோடிருக்கும்போதே சூத்ரநிலைக்கு வீழ்வான்; இறந்த பின் நாய்யோனியில் பிறப்பான் என்று கூறப்படுகிறது।

Word by Word

• सन्ध्याम्: the twilight worship (sandhyā)
• सन्ध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative/2nd, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• उपासते: worship (they) / performs worship
• उपासते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural, Ātmanepada)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular)

• मन्दबुद्धिमान्: dull-witted
• मन्दबुद्धिमान्: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द-बुद्धि-मत् (प्रातिपदिक); मन्द (विशेषण) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप्-प्रत्यय (मत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुपान्त-विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular; possessive adjective with -mat)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular)

• जीवन्: while living
• जीवन्: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Predicate nominal (प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• श्वा: a dog
• श्वा: Predicate nominal (प्रेडिकेट)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; श्वन्-शब्द (Masculine, Nominative/1st, Singular)

• सम्प्रजायते: is born (as)
• सम्प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King) addressed in surrounding context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa neglects Sandhyā at twilight; the sun sets, birds return, and the neglected water-offering and japa are contrasted with a shadowy fall into impurity—didactic, admonitory tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā
• Brāhmaṇa
• Śūdra
• Śvā (dog)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of daily sacred duties is treated as a serious spiritual fall with karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is specified; the passage functions as dharma-śikṣā within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain Sandhyā worship; do not abandon the daily rite.