Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तस्मादद्य दिने ब्रूहि मधु यच्छसि गर्हितम् । वर्तते च यथाऽभक्ष्यं ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः

Transliteration

tasmādadya dine brūhi madhu yacchasi garhitam | vartate ca yathā'bhakṣyaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

لہٰذا آج ہمیں بتائیے کہ آپ وہ شہد کیوں پیش کر رہے ہیں جو مذموم سمجھا جاتا ہے—اور جو خاص طور پر برہمنوں کے لیے ناقابلِ خوردنی مانا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), हेत्वर्थे ‘therefore’

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• दिने: on (this) day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• मधु: honey; mead
• मधु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यच्छसि: you give; offer
• यच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु; यच्छ-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• गर्हितम्: blameworthy; censured
• गर्हितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √गर्ह् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि; विशेषणम् (मधु)

• वर्तते: is; exists; is considered
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यथा: as; how
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as; how)

• अभक्ष्यम्: not to be eaten; forbidden
• अभक्ष्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक; a- + भक्ष्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = ‘especially’

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (śrāddha-bhojya recipients) addressing the king

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa spokesman raises a hand in respectful objection, pointing toward a small bowl of honey among offerings; the king appears surprised, attendants holding trays.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Narādhipa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual sincerity must align with dharma: even devotion should respect what is deemed proper for sacred offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but this particular line focuses on śrāddha propriety rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a prohibition: honey is treated as ‘abhakṣya’ (improper for consumption) for brāhmaṇas in this śrāddha-feeding context.