Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रिता यथान्यायं हव्ये कव्ये द्विजोत्तमाः । कथंचिदप्यतिक्रामेत्पापः शूकरतां व्रजेत्

Transliteration

nimantritā yathānyāyaṃ havye kavye dvijottamāḥ | kathaṃcidapyatikrāmetpāpaḥ śūkaratāṃ vrajet

Translation

เมื่อพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐได้รับนิมนต์ตามธรรมเนียมเพื่อหวิยะบูชาแด่เทวะ หรือกัวยะบูชาแด่บรรพชนแล้ว ไม่พึงขาดนัดหรือฝ่าฝืนไม่ไปโดยประการใด; ผู้ทำบาปเช่นนั้นย่อมตกสู่ภาวะเป็นสุกร.

Word by Word

• निमन्त्रिताः: invited
• निमन्त्रिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (द्विजोत्तमाः इति)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• न्यायम्: proper rule, due procedure
• न्यायम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (यथान्यायम् = यथा + न्यायम्)

• हव्ये: in the offering to gods (havis)
• हव्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कव्ये: in the offering to ancestors (kavya)
• कव्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: excellent Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कथंचित्: in any way, somehow
• कथंचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘somehow/at all’ अर्थे

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अप्यर्थक निपात (particle)

• अतिक्रामेत्: should transgress/overstep
• अतिक्रामेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पापः: a sinner
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शूकरताम्: the state of being a pig
• शूकरताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूकरता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go/attain
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha pavilion near a sacred coast: yajamāna with kuśa and piṇḍa offerings; dignified Brāhmaṇas seated; a shadowy pig-form in the background as a moral warning motif.

Characters & Entities

• Havya
• Kavya
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reliability and reverence in sacred service uphold social and spiritual order; neglect of dharma degrades one’s destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, aligning proper havya-kavya conduct with the sanctity of pilgrimage life at Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A duly invited dvija should not neglect or violate the appointment for havya (deva) and kavya (pitṛ) offerings; doing so is condemned with severe karmic consequence.