Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 162

Devanagari script

विना मंत्रैश्च यद्दत्तं न तद्गृह्णन्ति तेऽमलाः । श्रुतिरप्यत्र प्राहेदं मंत्राणां विषये नृप

Transliteration

vinā maṃtraiśca yaddattaṃ na tadgṛhṇanti te'malāḥ | śrutirapyatra prāhedaṃ maṃtrāṇāṃ viṣaye nṛpa

Translation

Những gì được bố thí mà không có thần chú, các bậc thanh tịnh vô cấu ấy không thọ nhận. Ngay cả Thánh điển Veda (Śruti) cũng tuyên dạy điều này tại đây, tâu Đại vương, về phạm vi của thần chú.

Word by Word

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (relation/without)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपात (preposition-like indeclinable)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras (by mantras)
• mantraiḥ: Karana (instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (object predicate: given)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)

• gṛhṇanti: (they) accept/take
• gṛhṇanti: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• amalāḥ: pure/spotless
• amalāḥ: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'te')

• śrutiḥ: the Śruti (Vedic revelation)
• śrutiḥ: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• prāha: said/declared
• prāha: Kriya (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (आह् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mantrāṇām: of mantras
• mantrāṇām: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• viṣaye: in the matter/subject
• viṣaye: Adhikarana (topic/domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm instructional scene: a king seated respectfully before a fierce-yet-auspicious Mahākāla teacher; a dāna setting with vessels, kuśa, and ritual implements; emphasis on spoken mantra as luminous syllables.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Mantra
• Nṛpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts must be sanctified by mantra; tradition grounds this in śruti (Vedic authority).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is doctrinal about mantra and acceptance of gifts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not give offerings/dāna without mantras; the pure recipients do not accept such gifts.