Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ग्रामशूकरतां याति ह्ययाज्ययाजको नृप । खरो वै बहुयाजी स्याच्छ्वानिमन्त्रितभोजनात्

Transliteration

grāmaśūkaratāṃ yāti hyayājyayājako nṛpa | kharo vai bahuyājī syācchvānimantritabhojanāt

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา ผู้ประกอบยัญแก่ผู้ไม่ควรรับยัญ ย่อมไปเป็นสุกรประจำหมู่บ้าน และแม้ผู้ทำยัญมาก หากกินอาหารจากงานเลี้ยงอันไม่บริสุทธิ์ที่เชิญสุนัข ก็ย่อมเกิดเป็นลา

Word by Word

• ग्रामशूकरताम्: the state of a village pig
• ग्रामशूकरताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रामशूकरता (प्रातिपदिक) = ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक) + शूकर (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ग्रामे शूकरः इव/ग्रामशूकरस्य भावः)

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/अवधारण

• अयाज्ययाजकः: one who officiates for unfit sacrificers
• अयाज्ययाजकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयाज्ययाजक (प्रातिपदिक) = अयाज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अयाज्यं याजयति इति)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• खरः: a donkey
• खरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारण/प्रमाण

• बहुयाजी: one who performs many sacrifices
• बहुयाजी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुयाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक) = बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + याजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (बहूनि यज्ञानि करोति)

• स्यात्: would become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्वानिमन्त्रितभोजनात्: from eating food offered after inviting a dog
• श्वानिमन्त्रितभोजनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वानिमन्त्रितभोजन (प्रातिपदिक) = श्वान् (प्रातिपदिक) + इमन्त्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (श्वानं निमन्त्र्य कृतं भोजनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two striking metamorphic exempla: a priest performing rites for an unworthy patron, dissolving into a village pig motif; and a man at an impure feast, later shown as a donkey—set as cautionary allegories around the king and narrator.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpa (king)
• yajña
• śvā (dog)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts gain merit only when aligned with dharma; serving unworthy causes or consuming defiling food turns religious activity into spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this line; it is an ethical warning within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions against performing yajñas for ayājya patrons and against eating ritually impure feast-food; no positive ritual is detailed.