Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

नित्यं च नृपतिश्रेष्ठ चतुर्दश्यष्टमीषु च । शिवमभ्यर्च्य विप्रांश्च भोजयेद्भक्तितो वरान्

Transliteration

nityaṃ ca nṛpatiśreṣṭha caturdaśyaṣṭamīṣu ca | śivamabhyarcya viprāṃśca bhojayedbhaktito varān

Translation

Und täglich, o bester der Könige—besonders am vierzehnten und am achten Mondtag—soll man, nachdem man Śiva verehrt hat, vortreffliche Brahmanen in Hingabe speisen.

Word by Word

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययप्रयोगः (adverb: always)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• नृपति-श्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपति-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘नृपतीनां श्रेष्ठः’

• चतुर्दशी-अष्टमीषु: on the fourteenth and eighth lunar days
• चतुर्दशी-अष्टमीषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (चतुर्दश्यां अष्टम्यां च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√अर्च् (धातु) → अभ्यर्च्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); ‘अभ्यर्च्य’ = सम्यक् अर्चयित्वा

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोजय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) ‘भोजयेत्’ = भोजयेत्/भोजयितव्यान् करोति

• भक्तितः: with devotion
• भक्तितः: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb): ‘भक्तितः’ = भक्त्या/भक्त्या सह

• वरान्: excellent, worthy
• वरान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘विप्रान्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (addressing Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Śiva worship with annadāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpatiśreṣṭha (best of kings), contextually Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Śiva worship, a devotee/king sponsors a meal: seated brāhmaṇas receiving food with reverence; pūjā items still visible; emphasis on aṣṭamī/caturdaśī calendar marks (moon phase in sky or almanac).

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śiva
• Brāhmaṇas
• Caturdaśī
• Aṣṭamī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship culminates in compassionate dharma—honoring Śiva is joined with serving the worthy through charitable feeding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is given within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting, where practices are framed around the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā followed by vipra-bhojana (feeding Brāhmaṇas), especially on Caturdaśī and Aṣṭamī tithis.