Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

स्वधर्मादनपेतेषु भिक्षा याच्या च योगिना । भैक्षं यवान्नं तक्रं वा पयो यावकमेव वा

Transliteration

svadharmādanapeteṣu bhikṣā yācyā ca yoginā | bhaikṣaṃ yavānnaṃ takraṃ vā payo yāvakameva vā

Translation

โยคีพึงขอบิณฑบาตจากผู้ที่ไม่หลุดจากสวธรรมของตนเท่านั้น บิณฑบาตอาจเป็นอาหารข้าวบาร์เลย์ นมเปรี้ยวเจือ (บัตเตอร์มิลค์) น้ำนม หรือโจ๊กยาวกะเพียงอย่างเดียว

Word by Word

• स्वधर्मात्: from one’s own duty
• स्वधर्मात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य धर्मः)

• अनपेतॆषु: among those not fallen away
• अनपेतॆषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन + अपि/इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → अनपेत (प्रातिपदिक-रूप)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (not deviated)

• भिक्षा: alms
• भिक्षा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• याच्या: to be begged/asked for
• याच्या: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याच् (धातु) + य (कृत्, भाव्य/gerundive)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• योगिना: by the yogin
• योगिना: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• भैक्षम्: alms-food
• भैक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; (भिक्षासम्बन्धि)

• यवान्नम्: barley-food
• यवान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (यवस्य अन्नम्)

• तक्रम्: buttermilk
• तक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle)

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• यावकम्: a kind of gruel (yāvaka)
• यावकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm yogin with begging bowl stands at the threshold of a dhārmic house; the householder offers barley gruel or buttermilk with reverence; the yogin accepts without attachment.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of livelihood matters: the yogin’s sustenance should come from dharmic households and remain simple and restrained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a conduct rule (ācāra) for yogic life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescription about bhikṣā: beg only from those established in svadharma, and accept simple foods like barley, buttermilk, milk, or yāvaka.