Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यथा षण्ढोऽफलः स्त्रीषु यथा गौर्गवि चाफला । यथा चाज्ञेऽफलं दानं तथा विप्रोऽनृचोऽफलः

Transliteration

yathā ṣaṇḍho'phalaḥ strīṣu yathā gaurgavi cāphalā | yathā cājñe'phalaṃ dānaṃ tathā vipro'nṛco'phalaḥ

Translation

స్త్రీలలో షణ్ఢుడు ఎలా ఫలహీనుడో, గోవుకు గోవుతో ఎలా ఫలం లేనిదో, అజ్ఞునికి ఇచ్చిన దానం ఎలా ఫలించదో—అలాగే వేదమంత్రపఠనం లేని విప్రుడూ ఫలహీనుడే।

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/तुलना-वाचक

• ṣaṇḍhaḥ: an impotent man/eunuch
• ṣaṇḍhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṇḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• aphalaḥ: fruitless
• aphalaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (fruitless)

• strīṣu: among women
• strīṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/तुलना-वाचक

• gauḥ: a cow
• gauḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• gavi: in/with a cow (i.e., among cows)
• gavi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• aphalā: fruitless
• aphalā: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/तुलना-वाचक

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• ajñe: in an ignorant person
• ajñe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (अल्पज्ञ/अविद्वान्)

• aphalam: fruitless
• aphalam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ

• dānam: a gift/charity
• dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tathā: so/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तथात्व/तुल्यताबोधक (correlative: 'so/likewise')

• vipraḥ: a Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• anṛcaḥ: without ṛc (Vedic recitation)
• anṛcaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (निषेध) + ṛc (प्रातिपदिक; ऋच् = ṛg-verse)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (without ṛc/without Vedic verses)

• aphalaḥ: fruitless
• aphalaḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau of three ‘fruitless’ pairings culminating in the warning: a brāhmaṇa without ṛc is an unfruitful recipient; the emphasis is on discernment, not ridicule.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• vipra
• dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit (phala) arises when sacred acts are aligned with qualification; giving without discernment can become spiritually unproductive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse focuses on dharmic standards for ritual giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions that dāna (and by extension śrāddha offerings) should not be directed to an unlearned, non-Veda-reciting ‘vipra’ if one seeks phala.