Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

क्षत्रियादपि गृह्णीयान्न दद्युर्ब्राह्मणा यदि । वैश्याद्वा प्रतिगृह्णीयान्न प्रयच्छंति चेन्नृपाः

Transliteration

kṣatriyādapi gṛhṇīyānna dadyurbrāhmaṇā yadi | vaiśyādvā pratigṛhṇīyānna prayacchaṃti cennṛpāḥ

Translation

หากพราหมณ์ไม่ถวายทาน ก็พึงรับได้แม้จากกษัตริย์ (กษัตริยะ); หรือพึงรับจากแพศย์ (ไวศยะ) หากพระราชาไม่ทรงจัดหาอุปถัมภ์

Word by Word

• क्षत्रियात्: from a Kshatriya
• क्षत्रियात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• गृह्णीयात्: should accept
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• दद्युः: should give
• दद्युः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction: ‘if’)

• वैश्यात्: from a Vaishya
• वैश्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• प्रतिगृह्णीयात्: should accept (receive)
• प्रतिगृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• प्रयच्छन्ति: give, grant
• प्रयच्छन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present indicative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त/सम्भावनार्थक निपात (if, in case)

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with a travel bundle stands before a small assembly: a brāhmaṇa household declining, a kṣatriya patron offering coins, and a vaiśya merchant offering provisions; the sea-bound Setu destination is indicated by a distant coastal shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha)
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya
• vaiśya
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage support should follow dharmic order, but necessity allows alternatives while keeping the intention sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvaram area), praised as a destination worthy of dedicated support.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A hierarchy of permissible donors for pilgrimage funds—brāhmaṇa first, then kṣatriya, then vaiśya under specified conditions.