Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

शंखादित्यानुषंगेण तांबूलस्य च भक्षणे । ये दोषा ये गुणा राजन्दानं चैव प्रभक्षणे

Transliteration

śaṃkhādityānuṣaṃgeṇa tāṃbūlasya ca bhakṣaṇe | ye doṣā ye guṇā rājandānaṃ caiva prabhakṣaṇe

Translation

O König, ich habe die Fehler und die Vorzüge dargelegt, die mit dem Genuss von Tāmbūla samt den dazugehörigen Observanzen verbunden sind; ebenso auch die Verdienste und Bedenken hinsichtlich seiner Gabe als Dāna und seines Verzehrs.

Word by Word

• शङ्ख-आदित्य-अनुषङ्गेण: by the association with Śaṅkha and Āditya
• शङ्ख-आदित्य-अनुषङ्गेण: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुषङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/निर्देशार्थ बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शङ्खादित्ययोः अनुषङ्गः = शङ्खादित्य-सम्बन्धेन); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• ताम्बूलस्य: of betel
• ताम्बूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भक्षणे: in eating
• भक्षणे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ये: which (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक

• दोषाः: faults
• दोषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ये: which (those)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक

• गुणाः: qualities, benefits
• गुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दानम्: giving (as a gift)
• दानम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic/only)

• प्रभक्षणे: in eating (fully)
• प्रभक्षणे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (राजन् addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage enumerates ‘faults and virtues’ like a teacher; symbolic tablets/list scrolls appear; a betel tray and conch/sun motifs (śaṅkha-āditya) hint at associated observances and auspicious timing.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Rājan (king, epithet)
• Āditya (Sun, by mention)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even auspicious items have rules of propriety; dharma distinguishes between beneficial and harmful modes of practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative frame inside Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points to a structured teaching on the do’s and don’ts (doṣa/guṇa) for both giving and consuming tāmbūla, including associated observances.