Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

न मया तर्पिता विप्रा मृष्टान्नैर्मधुरै रसैः । इहापि च परत्रापि विपदामनुतारकाः

Transliteration

na mayā tarpitā viprā mṛṣṭānnairmadhurai rasaiḥ | ihāpi ca paratrāpi vipadāmanutārakāḥ

Translation

Ich habe die Brāhmaṇas nicht mit feinen Speisen und süßen Köstlichkeiten erfreut—Taten, die hier wie auch im Jenseits helfen, über Widerfahrnisse hinwegzugelangen.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तर्पिताः: satisfied (fed/pleased)
• तर्पिताः: Karma (Object affected/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि (satiated)

• विप्राः: brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मृष्टान्नैः: with choice foods
• मृष्टान्नैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृष्ट + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘मृष्टम् अन्नम्’ = choice food); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मधुरैः: sweet
• मधुरैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (रसैः)

• रसैः: with juices/flavors
• रसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• परत्र: in the hereafter
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (in the other world/thereafter)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• विपदाम्: of calamities
• विपदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अनुतारकाः: deliverers (saviors)
• अनुतारकाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (विप्राः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa default dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as dāna-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers a meal of sweet dishes to seated brāhmaṇas on a ghāṭa-side courtyard; in the background, the Gaṅgā flows and a temple spire rises, symbolizing merit spanning worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anna-dāna and honoring the learned (vipras) is praised as a dharmic safeguard that supports well-being across both worldly and posthumous states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting, but its focus is on the universal dharma of hospitality and feeding rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpana/feeding of brāhmaṇas with mṛṣṭānna (fine food) and madhura-rasa (sweet delicacies).