Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

देवाः सर्वेऽन्नदानेन तृप्ता यच्छन्ति वांछितम् । पिपीलिकाऽपि यद्गेहाद्भक्ष्यमादाय गच्छति

Transliteration

devāḥ sarve'nnadānena tṛptā yacchanti vāṃchitam | pipīlikā'pi yadgehādbhakṣyamādāya gacchati

Translation

Durch die Gabe von Speise werden alle Götter zufrieden und gewähren die ersehnten Gaben. Selbst wenn eine Ameise aus dem Haus einen kleinen Bissen Nahrung fortträgt, wird auch dies zur Ursache von Verdienst.

Word by Word

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; agrees with देवाः

• अन्न-दानॆन: by the gift of food
• अन्न-दानॆन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अन्नस्य दानम्)

• तृप्ताः: satisfied
• तृप्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृप्त (प्रातिपदिक; √तृप् (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; past participle used adjectivally

• यच्छन्ति: grant; bestow
• यच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘to give/bestow’

• वाञ्छितम्: the desired (boon)
• वाञ्छितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाञ्छित (प्रातिपदिक; √वाञ्छ् (धातु) से क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; object of यच्छन्ति

• पिपीलिका: an ant
• पिपीलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• यत्: from which
• यत्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; relative pronoun used with ablative sense ‘from which’

• गेहात्: from the house
• गेहात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• भक्ष्यम्: food to be eaten
• भक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक; √भक्ष् (धातु) से यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having taken’

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household kitchen scene: a donor offers food; devas above bestow blessings; in the foreground an ant carries a grain, subtly glowing to indicate puṇya arising from even the smallest sharing.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ (the gods)
• Pipīlikā (ant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food-giving (annadāna) is among the highest charities; even unintended feeding generates puṇya and attracts divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya frame; the immediate emphasis is on dāna as a universal dharma supporting tīrtha-merit rather than naming a single site in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annadāna—offering food (directly or through hospitality) as a meritorious act.