Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46
पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो दत्त्वाश्नात्यमृतं गृही । अदत्त्वान्नं च यो भुंक्ते केवलं स्वोदरंभरिः
pitṛdevamanuṣyebhyo dattvāśnātyamṛtaṃ gṛhī | adattvānnaṃ ca yo bhuṃkte kevalaṃ svodaraṃbhariḥ
Nachdem er den Ahnen, den Devas und den Menschen gegeben hat, isst der Hausvater, was wie amṛta, Nektar, ist. Wer aber isst, ohne zuvor zu geben, ist nur einer, der seinen eigenen Bauch füllt.
Deductive (sectional narration; likely Sūta speaking in a dharma-teaching passage)
Scene: A householder offers portions to a small fire/altar, pours water for ancestors, and serves a guest; then he eats calmly, depicted as receiving ‘amṛta’ (a subtle luminous aura over the food). In contrast, a secondary vignette shows a greedy eater alone, shadowed.
FAQs
Food becomes sanctified by sharing; eating after offering is dharmic, while eating without giving is selfishness.
No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches universal household ethics.
Offer portions to pitṛs, devas, and humans (including guests/beggars) before taking one’s own meal.