Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

यथा भवति वै पूर्वं ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवैः कृतम् । तस्य देवा न गृह्णंति हृव्यं कव्यं च पूर्वजाः

Transliteration

yathā bhavati vai pūrvaṃ brahmaviṣṇuśivaiḥ kṛtam | tasya devā na gṛhṇaṃti hṛvyaṃ kavyaṃ ca pūrvajāḥ

Translation

ดังที่โบราณกาล พรหม วิษณุ และศิวะได้ทรงวางไว้ เทวดาทั้งหลายไม่รับเครื่องบูชา (หัวยะ) ของเขา และบรรพชนก็ไม่รับเครื่องเซ่น (กัวยะ) ของเขา

Word by Word

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक: as/just as)

• भवति: happens, becomes
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक-निपात/emphatic particle)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/temporal adverb: formerly)

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवैः: by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (ब्रह्मा-विष्णु-शिवाः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (करण/कर्तृकरण)

• कृतम्: done, performed
• कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; (कर्मणि) ‘done’—पूर्वपदेन सह (पूर्वं ... कृतम्)

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (सम्बन्ध)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• गृह्णन्ति: accept, take
• गृह्णन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हव्यं: havis (offering to gods)
• हव्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कव्यं: kavya (offering to ancestors)
• कव्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थक-निपात)

• पूर्वजाः: ancestors (forefathers)
• पूर्वजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Deductive attribution: a Purāṇic narrator/instructor within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A homa and śrāddha scene where divine and ancestral presences withdraw: offerings rise as smoke but do not reach Devas/Pitṛs, illustrating non-acceptance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Śiva
• Devas
• Pūrvajas (Ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts bear fruit only when supported by dharma; otherwise, even offerings to gods and ancestors are not received.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse lays down a general rule about ritual acceptance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Havya (deva-offerings) and kavya (pitṛ-offerings) are referenced, implying the necessity of dharmic eligibility for rites.