Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

संतर्प्य भोजनेनैव वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः । दीनान्धकृपणेभ्यश्च दानं देयं स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

saṃtarpya bhojanenaiva vastrālaṃkārabhūṣaṇaiḥ | dīnāndhakṛpaṇebhyaśca dānaṃ deyaṃ svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

Nachdem man sie mit Speise sowie mit Gewändern, Schmuck und Zierat zufrieden gestellt hat, soll man auch—nach eigener Kraft—Almosen geben an Arme, Blinde und Bedürftige.

Word by Word

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied (fed)
• संतर्प्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) ‘having satisfied’; णिच्-प्रयोगः सम्भव (संतर्पयति)

• भोजनेन: with food/meal
• भोजनेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः: with clothes and ornaments/adornments
• वस्त्रालंकारभूषणैः: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अलंकार (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (clothes, ornaments, adornments); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• दीनान्धकृपणेभ्यः: to the poor, blind, and destitute
• दीनान्धकृपणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (the poor, the blind, the wretched); पुंलिङ्गः (समूहवाचक), चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• दानम्: a gift/charity
• दानम्: Karta/Pratipadyam (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive) नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘to be given/should be given’

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s ability
• स्वशक्तितः: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/Measure)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः (according to/from one’s capacity)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakra-tīrtha / Dvārakā-kṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims distribute meals, garments, and simple ornaments to the poor, blind, and destitute near the sacred precinct; the act is portrayed as worshipful service, with humility and order.

Characters & Entities

• Dīna (poor)
• Andha (blind)
• Kṛpaṇa (destitute)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion expressed through feeding and giving is a core limb of Purāṇic dharma, especially alongside ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā’s sacred landscape is the frame; the adhyāya centers on the merit connected with Cakratīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Provide food, clothing, and ornaments as appropriate, and give alms to the needy according to one’s means.