Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषेण दत्तमन्नं यथेप्सितम् । पायसं शर्करायुक्तं साज्यशाकसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣeṇa dattamannaṃ yathepsitam | pāyasaṃ śarkarāyuktaṃ sājyaśākasamanvitam

Translation

Den Brāhmaṇas gab man in besonderer Weise Speise nach ihrem Wunsch: süßen Pāyasa, Milchreis mit Zucker, dazu Gemüse, in Ghee bereitet.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Dative plural)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभावे प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (instrumental used adverbially: ‘especially’)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त निष्ठा (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘given’

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

• yathā: as/according to
• yathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘as/according to’)

• īpsitam: desired/according to wish
• īpsitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √āp/īps (आप्/ईप्स् धातु; īpsita as PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त निष्ठा, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; ‘desired’)

• pāyasam: rice-pudding
• pāyasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular)

• śarkarāyuktam: mixed with sugar
• śarkarāyuktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śarkarā (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (युक्त, √yuj)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शर्करया युक्तम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular)

• sa: with
• sa: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (सह/सम्; उपसर्गार्थे ‘with’)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘स-’ उपसर्गसदृशः (prefix meaning ‘with’)

• ājya: ghee
• ājya: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (घृतम्); समासाङ्ग (ghee)

• śāka: vegetables
• śāka: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (vegetable)

• samanvitam: accompanied with
• samanvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-anu-√i (इ धातु) → samanvita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त निष्ठा, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; ‘accompanied by’)

Speaker

Narrator (exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal feeding of brāhmaṇas: seated in a row, servers offering pāyasa with sugar, ghee-laden vegetable dishes; vessels gleam; the giver stands with humility.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma honors sacred learning and ritual stewardship through respectful hospitality and generous feeding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya setting frames the practice; the verse spotlights brāhmaṇa-sevā as a dharmic act linked to sacred places and rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feeding brāhmaṇas with desired foods, including pāyasa (sweet milk-rice) and ghee-prepared vegetables.