Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

यथा श्वा गृहद्वारस्थोबलिं गृह्णाति किं तथा । प्रधानपुरुषो राजन्गृह्णाति च शुना समः

Transliteration

yathā śvā gṛhadvārasthobaliṃ gṛhṇāti kiṃ tathā | pradhānapuruṣo rājangṛhṇāti ca śunā samaḥ

Translation

如同狗立于家门口，夺取置于其处的供食（bali）；同样地，国王啊，那位受纳不如法之施的“主位之人”，也与狗无异。

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक

• श्वा: a dog
• श्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गृहद्वारस्थः: standing at the house-door
• गृहद्वारस्थः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह + द्वार + स्थ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गृहस्य द्वारे स्थितः (गृह-द्वार-स्थ)

• बलिम्: the offering (portion)
• बलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृह्णाति: takes/accepts
• गृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: what?/how?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; प्रश्नार्थक निपात (interrogative particle: ‘what?/is it so?’)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्वत्/एवम् (so/in that way)

• प्रधानपुरुषः: the principal person
• प्रधानपुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—प्रधानः पुरुषः

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• गृह्णाति: accepts/takes
• गृह्णाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• शुना: with a dog / by a dog
• शुना: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• समः: equal (to it)
• समः: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual; teaching the King in this adhyāya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vivid moral analogy: a dog at a doorway snatching a bali; juxtaposed with a respected ‘chief person’ who accepts improper gifts, shown as spiritually fallen—an admonitory tableau.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Rājan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Accepting offerings without proper dharmic qualification and sanctity degrades the recipient; purity of receiving (pratigraha) matters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on general Purāṇic ritual ethics within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied warning about improper acceptance of offerings (bali/pratigraha), urging dharmic, sanctified receiving.