Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तस्मादद्य दिने ब्रूहि मधु यच्छसि गर्हितम् । वर्तते च यथाऽभक्ष्यं ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः

Transliteration

tasmādadya dine brūhi madhu yacchasi garhitam | vartate ca yathā'bhakṣyaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ஆகையால் இன்று கூறுங்கள்—நிந்திக்கப்படும் தேனை நீங்கள் ஏன் அளிக்கிறீர்கள்? அது குறிப்பாக பிராமணர்களுக்கு அபக்ஷ்யம், அதாவது உண்ணத் தகாதது எனக் கருதப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore’

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• दिने: on (this) day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• मधु: honey; mead
• मधु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यच्छसि: you give; offer
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु; यच्छ-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• गर्हितम्: blameworthy; censured
• गर्हितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गर्ह् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि; विशेषणम् (मधु)

• वर्तते: is; exists; is considered
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यथा: as; how
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as; how)

• अभक्ष्यम्: not to be eaten; forbidden
• अभक्ष्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक; a- + भक्ष्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = ‘especially’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (śrāddha-bhojya recipients) addressing the king

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa spokesman raises a hand in respectful objection, pointing toward a small bowl of honey among offerings; the king appears surprised, attendants holding trays.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Narādhipa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual sincerity must align with dharma: even devotion should respect what is deemed proper for sacred offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this particular line focuses on śrāddha propriety rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a prohibition: honey is treated as ‘abhakṣya’ (improper for consumption) for brāhmaṇas in this śrāddha-feeding context.