Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सुरापानसमं ज्ञेयं जीवनायैव वा पठेत् । अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः पंचयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

surāpānasamaṃ jñeyaṃ jīvanāyaiva vā paṭhet | agnihotraparityāgaḥ paṃcayajñopakarmaṇām

Translation

یہ شراب نوشی کے برابر سمجھا جائے—اگر کوئی صرف روزی روٹی کے لیے (شاستر) کا پاٹھ کرے۔ اسی طرح اگنی ہوترا اور پانچ مہایَجْنوں سے وابستہ کرموں کو ترک کرنا بھی (وہی گناہ) ہے۔

Word by Word

• सुरापानसमम्: equal to drinking liquor
• सुरापानसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरापान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सुरापानस्य समम्)

• ज्ञेयम्: should be known
• ज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/अनिय-भाव, gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• जीवनाय: for livelihood
• जीवनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (for the sake of)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः: abandonment of the agnihotra
• अग्निहोत्रपरित्यागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र + परित्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्निहोत्रस्य परित्यागः)

• पञ्चयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्: of the rites of the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञोपकर्मणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चयज्ञ + उपकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चयज्ञानाम् उपकर्माणि)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder’s courtyard with three sacred fires; a priest recites with a money-bag nearby (symbol of livelihood-only motive), contrasted with a devout gṛhastha offering oblations; in the background, neglected fire-altar cold and dark to show Agnihotra abandonment.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• Pañcamahāyajña
• Surāpāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred learning and ritual are meant for dharma and inner purification; reducing them to mere livelihood or neglecting daily duties is condemned as a grave fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is identified; the verse focuses on nitya-karma (daily religious duty).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra and duties related to the pañcamahāyajñas are referenced, with a warning against their abandonment.