Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

न परीक्ष्यो द्विजस्तीर्थेष्वन्नार्थी भोज्य एव च । सक्तुभिः पिंडदानं च चरुणा पायसेन च

Transliteration

na parīkṣyo dvijastīrtheṣvannārthī bhojya eva ca | saktubhiḥ piṃḍadānaṃ ca caruṇā pāyasena ca

Translation

An einem Tīrtha soll ein nach Speise suchender Brāhmaṇa nicht geprüft oder befragt werden; er ist vielmehr zu speisen. Und Piṇḍa-Gaben können mit Saktu (Gerstenmehl), mit Caru und mit Pāyasa dargebracht werden.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• परीक्ष्यः: to be tested/examined
• परीक्ष्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थे) ‘परीक्ष्यः’ = परीक्षितव्यः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तीर्थेषु: at sacred places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• अन्नार्थी: seeking food
• अन्नार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अन्नस्य अर्थी)

• भोज्यः: to be fed/entertained (as a guest)
• भोज्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्) ‘भोज्यः’ = भोजनीयः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• सक्तुभिः: with roasted flour (saktu)
• सक्तुभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सक्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• पिण्डदानम्: offering of piṇḍas (funeral balls)
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पिण्डस्य दानम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• चरुणा: with caru (cooked sacrificial rice)
• चरुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• पायसेन: with milk-rice (pāyasa)
• पायसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrtha (general) within Kāśī teaching

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a riverbank tīrtha, pilgrims distribute food to brāhmaṇas; nearby, a devotee forms piṇḍas from saktu/caru/pāyasa and offers them with water and kuśa.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (Dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At sacred places, generosity and trust are dharma—feed the needy brāhmaṇa without suspicion and perform ancestral offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rule is stated for tīrthas in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu, reflecting Kāśī’s pilgrimage ethics of dāna and śrāddha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna to brāhmaṇas at tīrthas; piṇḍadāna using saktu, caru, or pāyasa.