Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

उत्तमं च शुभं स्तोमं कृत्वा हर्षमुपाययुः । अवारितान्नमददन्दीनांधकृपणेष्वपि

Transliteration

uttamaṃ ca śubhaṃ stomaṃ kṛtvā harṣamupāyayuḥ | avāritānnamadadandīnāṃdhakṛpaṇeṣvapi

Translation

Nachdem sie einen vortrefflichen und glückverheißenden Lobgesang dargebracht hatten, gelangten sie zu großer Freude. Sie gaben Speise ohne Hemmnis — selbst den Armen, den Blinden und sogar den Geizigen.

Word by Word

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative singular; adjective)

• stomam: hymn/chant of praise
• stomam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stoma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• kṛtvā: having performed
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having done’

• harṣam: joy
• harṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: harṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• upāyayuḥ: they attained/obtained
• upāyayuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upā-√i (इ धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Perfect, 3rd person plural)

• avārita: unrestricted
• avārita: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vārita (प्रातिपदिक; √vṛ ‘to restrain’ + निष्ठा, with negation)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘unrestrained/unforbidden’—पूर्वपद-विशेषणम् (Neuter, Accusative singular; past participial adjective)

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular)

• adadan: they gave
• adadan: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; छन्दसि/वैकल्पिक-रूपम् ‘अददन्’ (Imperfect, 3rd person plural; they gave)

• dīnān: to the poor
• dīnān: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative plural)

• andha: to the blind
• andha: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे/समुच्चये) ‘andhān’ implied by sandhi (Masculine, Accusative plural)

• kṛpaṇeṣu: among the wretched/miserable
• kṛpaṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Reference/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative plural)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = ‘also/even’ (particle)

Speaker

Narrator (exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A post-hymn communal feeding: devotees with folded hands after stotra, then servers distributing bowls of rice and sweets to a mixed crowd including the poor and blind; the atmosphere is orderly, generous, and joyful.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest worship flowers as compassion—praise of the divine culminates in unrestricted feeding of those in need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the contextual sacred landscape; the verse specifically glorifies annadāna as dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing auspicious stotra/chanting and practicing open-handed annadāna without excluding marginalized recipients.