Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

त्रिधा नौमित्तिकं प्रोक्तं सदा होमविवर्जितम् । इति प्रोक्ताः प्रकारास्ते त्रैविध्यमभिधीयते

Transliteration

tridhā naumittikaṃ proktaṃ sadā homavivarjitam | iti proktāḥ prakārāste traividhyamabhidhīyate

Translation

所谓“因缘施”（naimittika，随事随缘之施）被宣说为三种，并说其行持不以火供（homa）为恒常必需。由是，所述诸式被称为三分之别。

Word by Word

• त्रिधा: in three ways / threefold
• त्रिधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘त्रिधा’ = threefoldly

• नैमित्तिकम्: occasional; based on a specific occasion
• नैमित्तिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘(दानम्/विधानम्)’ understood)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared / has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier/कालवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/adverb of time)

• होम-विवर्जितम्: devoid of homa (fire-offering)
• होम-विवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त; वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: होमस्य विवर्जितम् = devoid of homa); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker/इति-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरणसूचक/quotative particle)

• प्रोक्ताः: are stated
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘(they) are said’

• प्रकाराः: types; modes
• प्रकाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Viśeṣaṇa (Demonstrative qualifier/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• त्रैविध्यम्: threefoldness; threefold classification
• त्रैविध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैविध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अभिधीयते: is called / is described
• अभिधीयते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is called/ is expressed’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm instructional scene: a seated ācārya explaining threefold naimittika-dāna to attentive householders; palm-leaf manuscripts, a simple altar present but no active homa fire, emphasizing ‘homa-vivarjita’.

Characters & Entities

• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity can be categorized systematically; certain forms of cause-based giving are valid even without obligatory fire-ritual accompaniment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the verse is a doctrinal classification of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Naimittika dāna is taught as threefold and not invariably tied to homa.