Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यस्तु भोजयते विप्रं षड्रसात्रेन भारत । अक्षयपुण्यमाप्नोति तत्र तीर्थे नरोत्तम

Transliteration

yastu bhojayate vipraṃ ṣaḍrasātrena bhārata | akṣayapuṇyamāpnoti tatra tīrthe narottama

Translation

Wer aber einen Vipra (Brāhmaṇa) mit einer Speise der sechs Geschmäcker bewirtet, o Bhārata, erlangt an jenem Tīrtha unvergängliches Verdienst, o Bester der Menschen.

Word by Word

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• भोजयते: feeds
• भोजयते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भोजय् (धातु; णिजन्त from भुज्/भोज्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; णिजन्त (causative: causes to eat/feeds)

• विप्रम्: a Brahmin
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• षड्रसात्रेन: with six-flavoured food
• षड्रसात्रेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + रस + अत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुष (with food of six tastes)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• अक्षयपुण्यम्: imperishable merit
• अक्षयपुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षय + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारय (imperishable merit)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• नरोत्तम: O best of men
• नरोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (singular); कर्मधारय (best of men)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced); vocatives indicate a royal/epic listener addressed as Bhārata/narottama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meghanāda (Garjana) Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the riverbank tīrtha, a devotee serves a brāhmaṇa a complete meal with six tastes; vessels, leaf-plates, water pot, and respectful gestures are emphasized; the tīrtha marker and flowing river appear in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity expressed as respectful feeding of brāhmaṇas at a tīrtha becomes akṣaya (imperishable) puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Garjana/Meghanāda Tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vipra-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas), specifically with ṣaḍrasa food, as a tīrtha-associated dāna.