Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणो ह्यनधीयानस्तृणाग्निरिव शाम्यति । तस्मै हव्यं न दातव्यं न हि भस्मनि हूयते

Transliteration

brāhmaṇo hyanadhīyānastṛṇāgniriva śāmyati | tasmai havyaṃ na dātavyaṃ na hi bhasmani hūyate

Translation

Ang brāhmaṇa na hindi nag-aaral ng Veda ay namamatay ang ningas na parang apoy sa damo. Kaya hindi dapat bigyan ng havya (handog sa yajña), sapagkat ang alay ay hindi ibinubuhos sa abo.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; indeed)

• अनधीयानः: not studying
• अनधीयानः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-adhīyāna (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + अधीयान (√adhī + शानच्))
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/आत्मनेपद-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास: ‘not studying (the Veda)’

• तृणाग्निः: a fire in grass
• तृणाग्निः: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa-agni (प्रातिपदिक; तृण + अग्नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तृणेषु/तृणेन अग्निः = grass-fire)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle: like/as)

• शाम्यति: is extinguished, subsides
• शाम्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• हव्यम्: oblation
• हव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

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

• दातव्यम्: to be given
• दातव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘should be given’ (with negation: must not be given)

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

• हि: for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; for/indeed)

• भस्मनि: in ashes
• भस्मनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• हूयते: is offered (as oblation)
• हूयते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hu (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is offered’

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid allegory: a bright sacrificial fire beside a learned brāhmaṇa reciting; contrasted with a heap of cold ashes near an unstudied brāhmaṇa—an oblation ladle pauses, refusing to pour into ashes.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Havya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning and discipline sustain spiritual potency; without study, religious capacity withers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches a dharmic standard for offerings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Havya (sacrificially intended gifts/oblations) should not be given to a brāhmaṇa who neglects Vedic study.