Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अदत्त्वा भुंजते योऽन्नं बंधुभ्योऽन्नं तथोदकम् । सपिण्डान्सोदकांश्चैव तत्कालात्तान्नरान्भज

Transliteration

adattvā bhuṃjate yo'nnaṃ baṃdhubhyo'nnaṃ tathodakam | sapiṇḍānsodakāṃścaiva tatkālāttānnarānbhaja

Translation

من يأكل الطعام دون أن يعطي (نصيباً) أولاً، ولا يقدم الطعام والماء للأقارب—خاصة أولئك الذين يشاركونه نفس النسب (البيندا) وقربان الماء—منذ ذلك الوقت، التزم بملازمة هؤلاء الرجال.

Word by Word

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु) + नञ्-पूर्वक क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); नञ्-निषेधपूर्वकः; अर्थः—‘न दत्त्वा’ (without giving)

• भुञ्जते: they eat/enjoy
• भुञ्जते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

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

• बन्धुभ्यः: to (his) relatives
• बन्धुभ्यः: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th); बहुवचन

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

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: ‘also/likewise’)

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन

• सपिण्डान्: sapindas (kinsmen sharing funeral oblations)
• सपिण्डान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); बहुवचन

• स-उदकान्: sodakas (kinsmen connected by water-libations)
• स-उदकान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-सम्बन्धः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avyaya (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तत्-कालात्: from that time
• तत्-कालात्: Apādāna (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध); पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th); एकवचन

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); बहुवचन

• भज: associate with / resort to
• भज: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; imperative continues—addressing a bhūta/negative force while defining adharma targets)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man eats alone while hungry relatives and a traveler stand outside; a dark force clings to him as he refuses water and food; in contrast, a nearby pilgrim kitchen glows with charity.

Characters & Entities

• Bandhu (relatives)
• Sapiṇḍa
• Sodaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sharing food and water—especially with kin—is a core household duty; selfish enjoyment is condemned as adharma with harmful consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra; its māhātmya teaches that sacred living includes social and ancestral obligations, not only pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving a portion before eating and providing anna and udaka to bandhus, including sapiṇḍa/sodaka relations—an ethic aligned with dāna and pitṛ-duty.