Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो दत्त्वाश्नात्यमृतं गृही । अदत्त्वान्नं च यो भुंक्ते केवलं स्वोदरंभरिः

Transliteration

pitṛdevamanuṣyebhyo dattvāśnātyamṛtaṃ gṛhī | adattvānnaṃ ca yo bhuṃkte kevalaṃ svodaraṃbhariḥ

Translation

إذا أعطى ربُّ البيتِ للآباءِ والأربابِ (الدِّيفات) وللناسِ، أكلَ طعامًا كأنه أَمْرِتَا، رحيقٌ خالد. أمّا من يأكلُ دونَ أن يُعطيَ أولًا، فليس إلا مَن يملأُ بطنَه وحده.

Word by Word

• पितृ-देव-मनुष्येभ्यः: to the ancestors, gods, and humans
• पितृ-देव-मनुष्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (to/from ancestors, gods, and humans)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Sambandha (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अमृतम्: nectar; (figuratively) merit/immortality
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गृही: householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Sambandha (Prior action - negated)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) → अदत्त्वा (नञ् + क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (negative gerund), अव्यय

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction), अव्यय

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: eats/enjoys
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषणस्य अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial use)

• स्व-उदरंभरिः: one who fills only his own belly (selfish eater)
• स्व-उदरंभरिः: Pradhana (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उदरंभरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (one who fills his own belly)

Speaker

Deductive (sectional narration; likely Sūta speaking in a dharma-teaching passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder offers portions to a small fire/altar, pours water for ancestors, and serves a guest; then he eats calmly, depicted as receiving ‘amṛta’ (a subtle luminous aura over the food). In contrast, a secondary vignette shows a greedy eater alone, shadowed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food becomes sanctified by sharing; eating after offering is dharmic, while eating without giving is selfishness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches universal household ethics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer portions to pitṛs, devas, and humans (including guests/beggars) before taking one’s own meal.