Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

छन्दोगं भोजयेच्छ्राद्धे वैश्वदेवे च बह्वृचम् । पुष्टिकर्मण्यथाध्वर्युं शान्तिकर्मण्यथर्वणम्

Transliteration

chandogaṃ bhojayecchrāddhe vaiśvadeve ca bahvṛcam | puṣṭikarmaṇyathādhvaryuṃ śāntikarmaṇyatharvaṇam

Translation

Beim Śrāddha speise man einen Chāndoga; und beim Vaiśvadeva-Ritus einen Bahvṛc. Bei Puṣṭi-Handlungen (Gedeihen und Stärkung) speise man einen Adhvaryu; und bei Śānti-Handlungen (Besänftigung) einen Atharvan-Priester.

Word by Word

• chandogam: a Chāndoga (Sāmavedin)
• chandogam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• bhojayet: should feed
• bhojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु, णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (भोजयति = causes to eat)

• śrāddhe: at the śrāddha rite
• śrāddhe: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• vaiśvadeve: at the vaiśvadeva rite
• vaiśvadeve: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvadeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• bahvṛcam: a Bahvṛc (Ṛgvedin)
• bahvṛcam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahvṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• puṣṭikarmaṇi: in a rite for prosperity
• puṣṭikarmaṇi: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुष्टेः कर्म)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/and further)

• adhvaryum: an Adhvaryu (Yajurvedin priest)
• adhvaryum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvaryu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• śāntikarmaṇi: in a pacificatory rite
• śāntikarmaṇi: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शान्तेः कर्म)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय

• arvaṇam: an Atharvan (Atharvavedin)
• arvaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arvan/atharvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; पाठभेदे ‘अथर्वणम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual dining setting: four learned brāhmaṇas identifiable by Vedic emblems/manuscripts—Sāma (Chāndoga), Ṛg (Bahvṛc), Yajur (Adhvaryu), Atharva (Atharvan)—seated on kuśa mats as the yajamāna offers food in a śrāddha pavilion near a sacred site.

Characters & Entities

• Chāndoga
• Bahvṛc
• Adhvaryu
• Atharvan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual hospitality is not generic; offerings are refined by matching the rite with the appropriate Vedic expertise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a place where Vedic-aligned śrāddha and domestic rites are to be performed correctly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed specific Vedic specialists according to the rite: Chāndoga for śrāddha, Bahvṛc for vaiśvadeva, Adhvaryu for puṣṭi, and Atharvan for śānti.