Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

माण्डव्य उवाच । अदत्तदाना जायन्ते परभाग्योपजीविनः । न स्नानं न जपो होमो नातिथ्यं न सुरार्चनम्

Transliteration

māṇḍavya uvāca | adattadānā jāyante parabhāgyopajīvinaḥ | na snānaṃ na japo homo nātithyaṃ na surārcanam

Translation

مانڈویہ نے کہا: ”جو خیرات نہیں دیتے، وہ دوسروں کی قسمت کے سہارے پیدا ہوتے ہیں۔ وہ نہ تو مقدس اشنان کرتے ہیں، نہ جاپ، نہ ہوم، نہ مہمان نوازی اور نہ ہی دیوتاؤں کی پوجا کرتے ہیں۔“

Word by Word

• माण्डव्यः: Māṇḍavya (sage)
• माण्डव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अदत्तदानाः: non-givers; those who do not give charity
• अदत्तदानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदत्त (कृदन्त; दा-धातु से क्त) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (those whose giving is not given/ who do not give)

• जायन्ते: are born / come to be
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परभाग्योपजीविनः: those who live off others' fortune
• परभाग्योपजीविनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (parabhāgya-upajīvin = living on others' fortune)

• न: not / no
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• जपः: recitation (japa)
• जपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering (homa)
• होमः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (sandhi in nātithyam)

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality to guests
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• सुरार्चनम्: worship of the gods
• सुरार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (worship of the gods)

Speaker

Māṇḍavya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-context

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-s (addressed as ethical audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage (Māṇḍavya) instructs attentive brāhmaṇas on the decline of those who neglect charity and daily rites; in the background a riverbank tīrtha with pilgrims bathing and a small shrine receiving offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of dāna and daily dharma leads to spiritual and social dependency; dharmic life is marked by regular worship and service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the teaching is framed within the Revā (Narmadā) section of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna, japa, homa, atithi-sevā (hospitality), and deva-arcana (worship) are listed as key daily observances.