Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहे समर्था हि ये प्रतिग्रहवर्जिताः । त एते मत्प्रिया विप्रास्त्यक्ततीर्थ प्रतिग्रहाः

Transliteration

pratigrahe samarthā hi ye pratigrahavarjitāḥ | ta ete matpriyā viprāstyaktatīrtha pratigrahāḥ

Translation

แม้สามารถรับทานได้ แต่พราหมณ์ผู้ใดละเว้นการรับของกำนัล โดยเฉพาะการรับทานเพื่อเลี้ยงชีพเกี่ยวกับทิรถะ—พราหมณ์เหล่านั้นเป็นที่รักของเรา

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहे: in accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• समर्थाः: capable
• समर्थाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Modifier (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• प्रतिग्रह-वर्जिताः: avoiding acceptance of gifts
• प्रतिग्रह-वर्जिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रतिग्रहात् वर्जिताः); कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Apposition (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• मत्-प्रियाः: dear to me
• मत्-प्रियाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-एकवचन-रूप; pronominal base) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मम प्रियाः)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• त्यक्त-तीर्थ-प्रतिग्रहाः: having abandoned gift-taking at tīrthas
• त्यक्त-तीर्थ-प्रतिग्रहाः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तीर्थप्रतिग्रहं त्यक्तवन्तः); कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa at a ghat politely declining offered coins while blessing the donor; nearby, pilgrims perform simple worship without ostentation; the scene emphasizes dignity, restraint, and non-transactional sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Pratigraha
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Integrity and non-exploitation of sacred places—refusing gifts despite eligibility—is praised as beloved to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse addresses ethical conduct related to tīrthas in general.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: avoid pratigraha (gift-acceptance), especially as a livelihood connected to pilgrimage.