Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भोजनं तत्र दातव्यं दंपतीनां न संशयः । दिव्यैर्भक्ष्यैः सुमिष्टान्नैः सा तुष्यति ततः स्तुता

Transliteration

bhojanaṃ tatra dātavyaṃ daṃpatīnāṃ na saṃśayaḥ | divyairbhakṣyaiḥ sumiṣṭānnaiḥ sā tuṣyati tataḥ stutā

Translation

Dort soll man ohne Zweifel den Ehepaaren Speise darreichen. Wenn man erlesene Köstlichkeiten und wohlbereitete Süßspeisen darbringt, wird Sie zufrieden; dann ist Sie mit heiligen Hymnen zu preisen.

Word by Word

• bhojanam: food, meal
• bhojanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक; √bhuj/भुज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dātavya (कृदन्त; √dā/दा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक-तव्यत् (gerundive) — Neuter, Nominative Singular; ‘to be given/should be given’

• daṃpatīnām: of the couple (husband and wife)
• daṃpatīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃpatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive Plural

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative Singular

• divyaiḥ: with divine
• divyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Masc./Neut., Instrumental Plural

• bhakṣyaiḥ: with eatables/delicacies
• bhakṣyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ/भक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Masc./Neut., Instrumental Plural

• sumiṣṭa-annaiḥ: with very sweet foods
• sumiṣṭa-annaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental Plural; कर्मधारय-समास (‘सुमिष्टं च तत् अन्नं’)

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative Singular

• tuṣyati: is pleased
• tuṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tuṣ (तुष्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

• tataḥ: thereupon/then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (adverb: ‘thereupon/therefore/from that’)

• stutā: praised
• stutā: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stutā (कृदन्त; √stu/स्तु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — Feminine, Nominative Singular; ‘praised’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauraveśvarī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the temple courtyard, devotees serve sweet dishes and fine foods to married couples as part of Kauraveśvarī worship; afterward, they sing hymns before the goddess.

Characters & Entities

• Kauraveśvarī
• Daṃpatī (married couples)
• Dāna (food-giving)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is completed through generosity—feeding others as sacred service that pleases the deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kauraveśvarī’s shrine/area within Prabhāsakṣetra where offerings and dāna are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annadāna: offering meals—especially fine foods and sweets—specifically to married couples, followed by stuti (praise).