Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

ऋत्विजां मनसस्तुष्टिः कार्या वित्तानुमानतः । ब्राह्मणं भोजयेत्तत्र सकुटुंबं विशेषतः

Transliteration

ṛtvijāṃ manasastuṣṭiḥ kāryā vittānumānataḥ | brāhmaṇaṃ bhojayettatra sakuṭuṃbaṃ viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Man sorge für die Zufriedenheit der Opferpriester (ṛtvij) nach den eigenen Mitteln. Dort speise man insbesondere die Brāhmaṇas zusammen mit ihren Familien.

Word by Word

• ऋत्विजाम्: of the priests
• ऋत्विजाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• तुष्टिः: satisfaction
• तुष्टिः: Kartṛ (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कार्या: should be effected
• कार्या: Kriyā (Predicate obligation/विधेय-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kārya (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(तुष्टिः) कार्या’ = ‘should be made’

• वित्तानुमानतः: according to one’s means
• वित्तानुमानतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/measure adverb/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vitta (प्रातिपदिक) + anumāna (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त adverb): ‘वित्तानुमानतः’ = ‘वित्तस्य अनुमानात्/यथावित्तम्’

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु) (णिच् causative) → bhojay (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): ‘cause to eat/feed’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb): ‘तत्र’

• सकुटुम्बम्: together with (his) family
• सकुटुम्बम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह) + kuṭumba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुटुम्बेन सह); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ब्राह्मणम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Emphatic adverb/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त adverb): ‘विशेषतः’ = ‘विशेषेण’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-householder in Ayodhyā respectfully serves a line of brāhmaṇa priests and their families with cooked rice, ghee, and sweets; vessels of water and betel are offered; the setting suggests a sacred town near a riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛtvij (priests)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes sincerity and proportional giving—supporting sacred service without ostentation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the ritual setting referenced by ‘tatra’ within the Ayodhyā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed brāhmaṇas (especially with their families) and gratify the officiants according to one’s resources.