Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

धनानि संप्राप्य वराटिकां ये द्विजातिमुख्याय विधाय पूजाम् । यच्छंति नो निर्मलचेतना ये नराधमा दैवहता मृतास्ते

Transliteration

dhanāni saṃprāpya varāṭikāṃ ye dvijātimukhyāya vidhāya pūjām | yacchaṃti no nirmalacetanā ye narādhamā daivahatā mṛtāste

Translation

แม้ได้ทรัพย์แล้ว ผู้ใดไม่ถวายแม้เหรียญเดียว และไม่บูชาด้วยความเคารพต่อทวิชผู้ประเสริฐ (พราหมณ์); ผู้มีจิตไม่ผ่องใส—ชนชั้นต่ำเหล่านั้นย่อมถูกชะตากรรมเล่นงานจนถึงความตาย

Word by Word

• धनानि: wealth, riches
• धनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• संप्राप्य: having obtained
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वराटिकाम्: a cowrie/coin (small coin)
• वराटिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराटिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• द्विजातिमुख्याय: to the chief among the twice-born
• द्विजातिमुख्याय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजातिमुख्य (प्रातिपदिक) = द्विजाति + मुख्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजातेः मुख्यः)

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Purvakala-kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive) अव्यय

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यच्छन्ति: give, offer
• यच्छन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु; यच्छति)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नः: to us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) बहुवचन (enclitic); 'our'

• निर्मलचेतनाः: pure-minded
• निर्मलचेतनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मलचेतन (प्रातिपदिक) = निर्मल + चेतन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (निर्मला चेतना येषाम्/निर्मल-चेतन)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• नराधमाः: worst of men
• नराधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधम (प्रातिपदिक) = नर + अधम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (नरेषु अधमाः)

• दैवहताः: struck by fate
• दैवहताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैवहत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) = दैव + हत (√हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दैवेन हताः)

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy pilgrim stands before a venerable brāhmaṇa; one path shows refusal and darkening fate; the other shows offering a single coin with reverence, brightening the scene with auspicious light.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Dāna (charity)
• Pūjā (worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth must be sanctified through charity and honouring the worthy; miserliness and impure intent lead to spiritual and worldly ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

In the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya setting, tīrtha-visit is paired with dharma—especially dāna and pūjā—as the proper way to receive the place’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (giving, even a small coin) and pūjā (reverent worship/honouring) to a worthy dvija are explicitly recommended.