Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तदप्यहो चातिकष्ट हेतुना तेन मे मतम् । अयं प्रतिग्रहो घोरो मध्वास्वादो विषोपमः

Transliteration

tadapyaho cātikaṣṭa hetunā tena me matam | ayaṃ pratigraho ghoro madhvāsvādo viṣopamaḥ

Translation

Ngay cả điều ấy, than ôi, cũng dường như là con đường vô cùng gian khổ—đó là nhận định của ta. Việc nhận lễ vật này thật đáng sợ: ngọt như mật ong nơi đầu lưỡi, nhưng hậu quả lại như chất độc.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विषय-निर्देशः (that)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• aho: alas!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयाद्यर्थक-अव्यय (interjection: alas/oh)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• atikaṣṭaṃ: very difficult
• atikaṣṭaṃ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + kaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (very difficult/very hard)

• hetunā: by the cause/reason
• hetunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: by reason/cause)

• tena: therefore/by that
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: by that/therefore)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: my)

• matam: opinion, view
• matam: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √man 'to think' PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक/मत-शब्दः (opinion)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Demonstrative pronoun)

• pratigrahaḥ: acceptance (of gifts)
• pratigrahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati-graha (प्रातिपदिक; from prati-√grah)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• ghoraḥ: terrible
• ghoraḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with pratigrahaḥ)

• madhu-āsvādaḥ: honey-taste (sweet at first)
• madhu-āsvādaḥ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक) + āsvāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मधुनः आस्वादः) (Nominative singular)

• viṣa-upamaḥ: like poison
• viṣa-upamaḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषस्य उपमः/उपमितः) (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a bowl of honey beside a vial of poison; a brāhmaṇa reaches, then withdraws, choosing restraint; behind him a faint aura of dharma, ahead a shadow of bondage.

Characters & Entities

• pratigraha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material benefit can hide spiritual peril; receiving gifts may bind one through obligation, pride, or impurity despite its sweetness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is an ethical reflection on pratigraha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It cautions against pratigraha (accepting gifts), implying restraint and careful discernment for those pursuing dharma.