Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

द्विजायार्थं प्रतिश्रुत्य न प्रयच्छति यः पुनः । न च चस्मारयते विप्रं तुल्यं तदुपपपातकम्

Transliteration

dvijāyārthaṃ pratiśrutya na prayacchati yaḥ punaḥ | na ca casmārayate vipraṃ tulyaṃ tadupapapātakam

Translation

ద్విజుని (బ్రాహ్మణుని) కోసం ఏదైనా ఇస్తానని ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసి, తరువాత ఇవ్వకపోవడం, అలాగే ఆ విప్రుని స్మరింపజేసి కూడా నెరవేర్చకపోవడం—అదే రకమైన ఉపపాతకమని స్మృతం.

Word by Word

• dvijāya: to a twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• artham: wealth/thing (promised)
• artham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pratiśrutya: having promised
• pratiśrutya: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati-śru (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्यय, gerund); अर्थः—having promised

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• prayacchati: gives
• prayacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• punaḥ: again/further
• punaḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• smārayate: reminds
• smārayate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच् (causative) अर्थे—‘स्मारयति/स्मारयते’ = causes to remember/reminds

• vipram: the brahmin
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tulyam: equal
• tulyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• tat-upapātakam: that (is) a minor sin (upapātaka)
• tat-upapātakam: Predicate (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + upapātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (तत् उपपातकम् = that minor sin)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor making a public promise to a brāhmaṇa, then turning away empty-handed; the brāhmaṇa stands patient; a ledger/saṅkalpa-water pot symbolizes vow; a subtle divine witness (Śiva/Skanda emblem) observes.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires integrity: promising support and then withholding it—especially regarding a brāhmaṇa—is treated as a serious moral fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical guidance rather than a site-mahātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The ritual element is implicit: it reinforces the obligation of dāna and vow-keeping, but gives no specific rite or expiation.