Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

चांडालोच्छिष्टपिंडेन जठराग्निमतर्पयत् । एवं कृच्छ्रेण महता नीत्वा सुबहुलं वयः

Transliteration

cāṃḍālocchiṣṭapiṃḍena jaṭharāgnimatarpayat | evaṃ kṛcchreṇa mahatā nītvā subahulaṃ vayaḥ

Translation

Mit Bissen, die ein Caṇḍāla übriggelassen hatte, stillte sie kaum das Feuer ihres Bauches. So führte sie, in großer Not, ihr Leben fort bis zu vielen Jahren.

Word by Word

• चाण्डाल: of a caṇḍāla
• चाण्डाल: Sambandha (Genitive relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound), मूलार्थः ‘चाण्डालः’

• उच्छिष्ट: leftover/defiled
• उच्छिष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासे विशेषणपद (in compound), ‘उच्छिष्टम्’ = left-over/defiled

• पिण्डेन: with a lump/ball (of food) left by a caṇḍāla
• पिण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: चाण्डालस्य उच्छिष्टः पिण्डः → चाण्डालोच्छिष्टपिण्डः; तेन (instrumental)

• जठर: belly
• जठर: Sambandha (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासे पूर्वपद (in compound), ‘जठरम्’ = belly

• अग्निम्: the digestive fire
• अग्निम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: जठरस्य अग्निः → जठराग्निः; कर्मपद (object)

• अतर्पयत्: (he/she) satisfied/fed
• अतर्पयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative sense in usage: ‘अतर्पयत्’ = satisfied/fed

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; साधन/हेतौ (by/with hardship)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; ‘कृच्छ्रेण’ इति विशेषणम् (agreeing adjective)

• नीत्वा: having passed/spent
• नीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘नी’ धातोः; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having led/passed)

• सुबहुलम्: very much/abundant
• सुबहुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘वयः’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः कर्मधारयः: सु + बहुल = very much/abundant

• वयः: age/time of life
• वयः: Karman (Object of ‘नीत्वा’—spent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कालपरिमाणरूपेण (as duration/age)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; likely the Purāṇic narrator in Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated elderly woman in ragged cloth, crouched near a roadside, clutching a small leftover morsel; stark contrast between her frailty and the implied sacred world beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates the depths of deprivation and implicitly praises the merit of feeding others, a central Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is narrative, though it supports the dharmic value of anna-dāna.