Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एकसार्थप्रयाताय क्षुत्क्षामायावसीदते । अदत्त्वा भोजनं यैश्च कृतं तेऽत्र व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

ekasārthaprayātāya kṣutkṣāmāyāvasīdate | adattvā bhojanaṃ yaiśca kṛtaṃ te'tra vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Wer dem Reisenden, der mit der Karawane zog und vor Hunger entkräftet zusammenbrach, keine Speise gab, wird hier (in dieser Hölle) festgehalten.

Word by Word

• एकसार्थप्रयाताय: to one who had set out with a caravan
• एकसार्थप्रयाताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + सार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘एकेन सार्थेन प्रयात’ इत्यर्थे — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• क्षुत्क्षामाय: to one emaciated by hunger
• क्षुत्क्षामाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘क्षुत्-क्षाम’ = भूखया क्षीणः — Masculine, Dative, Singular; adjective

• अवसीदते: sinks down, becomes distressed
• अवसीदते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दा (धातु) → अदत्त्वा (कृदन्त, त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), निषेधपूर्वक — Absolutive/gerund: ‘without giving’

• भोजनम्: food
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; relative pronoun

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

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे — Past passive participle; Neuter, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• व्यवस्थिताः: are stationed/placed
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Durgama (Naraka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A caravan road scene: a hunger-stricken traveler collapses; a householder/merchant refuses food. The scene transitions to Durgama hell where the refuser is driven across thorns amid snakes and scorpions.

Characters & Entities

• Traveler
• Caravan (sārtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality to the hungry—especially travelers and pilgrims—is a core dharma; refusing it brings severe karmic reaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a particular tīrtha; it teaches dharma within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna to the hungry traveler is the implied practice.