Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वैदिकं च पुरस्कृत्य ब्राह्मणाः शूद्रयाजकाः । दरिद्रिणो भविष्यंति प्रतिग्रहरताः सदा

Transliteration

vaidikaṃ ca puraskṛtya brāhmaṇāḥ śūdrayājakāḥ | daridriṇo bhaviṣyaṃti pratigraharatāḥ sadā

Translation

“ویدی اختیار کا دکھاوا کر کے جو برہمن شودروں کے لیے یَجْن کراتے ہیں، وہ مفلس ہو جائیں گے اور ہمیشہ نذرانے لینے کے شوقین رہیں گے۔”

Word by Word

• वैदिकम्: the Vedic (authority)
• वैदिकम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेष्य-रूपेण (vaidikaṃ = Vedic (thing/authority))

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• पुरस्कृत्य: having put forward
• पुरस्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-√कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा/ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त) अव्ययकृदन्त; अर्थः—पुरतः कृत्वा/अग्रे कृत्वा (having put forward)

• ब्राह्मणाः: brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शूद्रयाजकाः: priests who officiate for śūdras
• शूद्रयाजकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र-याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य याजकाः—priests for śūdras)

• दरिद्रिणः: poor
• दरिद्रिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इन्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• भविष्यन्ति: will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/साधारण भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रतिग्रहरताः: devoted to accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिग्रह-रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रतिग्रहे रताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

Speaker

Nandin (deduced from surrounding narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a priest wearing Vedic insignia accepts gifts repeatedly, his household turning poor and anxious; behind, a radiant ideal brāhmaṇa studies calmly—contrast of greed vs integrity.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śūdra
• Veda
• Pratigraha (accepting gifts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Religious authority used as a pretext for livelihood and greed leads to spiritual and social decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-kṣetra frame continues, but the verse itself is a moral warning within that pilgrimage narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive rite is prescribed; it cautions against improper officiation and excessive attachment to gifts (pratigraha).