Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

भिक्षान्नं विविधं श्लक्ष्णं सोपचारं च शक्तितः । प्रदत्तं भिक्षितं तेन देवदेवेन शूलिना

Transliteration

bhikṣānnaṃ vividhaṃ ślakṣṇaṃ sopacāraṃ ca śaktitaḥ | pradattaṃ bhikṣitaṃ tena devadevena śūlinā

Translation

তারা নিজেদের সামর্থ্য অনুযায়ী নানাবিধ সুস্বাদু কোমল অন্নভিক্ষা ও যথোচিত উপচার নিবেদন করল; আর দেবদেব শূলধারী প্রভু তা গ্রহণ করে ভোজন করলেন।

Word by Word

• भिक्षा-अन्नम्: alms-food
• भिक्षा-अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘alms’ + ‘food’

• विविधम्: various
• विविधम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (agreeing with भिक्षा-अन्नम्)

• श्लक्ष्णम्: fine / delicate
• श्लक्ष्णम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (agreeing)

• स-उपचारम्: with due attentions
• स-उपचारम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘with’ (स-) + ‘attentions/serving’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय — conjunction

• शक्तितः: according to (their) capacity
• शक्तितः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय — adverb ‘according to ability’

• प्रदत्तम्: given
• प्रदत्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — PPP ‘given’ (agreeing with भिक्षा-अन्नम्)

• भिक्षितम्: accepted (as alms) / partaken
• भिक्षितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — PPP ‘begged/received as alms’ (here: ‘accepted/partaken’)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• देव-देवेन: by the God of gods
• देव-देवेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘god of gods’

• शूलिना: by the trident-bearer
• शूलिना: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) describing Śiva’s bhikṣā-līlā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: दारुवन-तीर्थ

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: भिक्षुरूपः शूलिन् (त्रिशूल-चिह्न/शूल-आभास) स्त्रीभिः प्रदत्तं विविधं श्लक्ष्णं अन्नं सोपचारं गृह्णाति, भुञ्जानः; स्त्रियः नम्रतया उपतिष्ठन्ते; दिव्य-तेजः सूक्ष्मं प्रकटते

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Śūlin (Trident-bearer)
• ṛṣibhāryāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to a guest and giving within one’s means becomes sacred when offered with reverence—especially when the divine tests devotion through humility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra/Kedāranātha region, as framed by Kedārakhaṇḍa’s sacred-geography praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering bhikṣānna with upacāra—food alms accompanied by respectful hospitality.