Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16
ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदि त्वं भोक्तुकामस्तु समायातो व्रज द्रुतम् । एतस्यां सत्रशालायां भुञ्जते यत्र तापसाः । दीनान्धाः कृपणाश्चैव ततः क्षुत्क्षामकंठिताः
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yadi tvaṃ bhoktukāmastu samāyāto vraja drutam | etasyāṃ satraśālāyāṃ bhuñjate yatra tāpasāḥ | dīnāndhāḥ kṛpaṇāścaiva tataḥ kṣutkṣāmakaṃṭhitāḥ
Die Brāhmaṇas sprachen: „Wenn du mit dem Wunsch zu essen gekommen bist, geh schnell. In dieser Satraśālā speisen die Asketen—zusammen mit den Armen, den Blinden und den Bedürftigen, deren Kehlen vor Hunger trocken sind und die vor Schwäche wanken.“
Brāhmaṇāḥ (the brāhmaṇas/ritualists)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A bustling satraśālā within a tīrtha precinct: ascetics seated in rows receiving food; nearby the poor, blind, and destitute are guided to eat; brāhmaṇas direct a wandering tapasvin toward the hall; vessels of rice, gruel, and water are carried by attendants.
FAQs
A sacred community institutionalizes compassion—providing a dedicated place where ascetics and the needy are fed.
The verse highlights the practice of a satraśālā within the tīrtha narrative, but does not name the location in this excerpt.
Directing those seeking food to the satraśālā, reflecting anna-dāna as an organized dharmic support alongside yajña.