Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

यदेतया पूर्वभवे नान्नदानादिकं कृतम् । क्षुत्पिपासादिभिः क्लेशैस्तस्मादिह निपीड्यते

Transliteration

yadetayā pūrvabhave nānnadānādikaṃ kṛtam | kṣutpipāsādibhiḥ kleśaistasmādiha nipīḍyate

Translation

Because in a former life she did not perform gifts such as the giving of food, therefore in this life she is pressed by afflictions like hunger, thirst, and the like.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• etayā: by her / through this (woman)
• etayā: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-निर्देश

• pūrvabhave: in a former birth
• pūrvabhave: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण; समासः—पूर्वः + भवः (पूर्वजन्म)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• annadāna-ādikam: food-giving and the like (charities)
• annadāna-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: annadāna + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मपद; समासः—अन्नस्य दानम् (annadāna) + ādika (etc.)

• kṛtam: was done
• kṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कृतम्’ = ‘done’

• kṣut-pipāsā-ādibhiḥ: by hunger, thirst, and the like
• kṣut-pipāsā-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣut + pipāsā + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (समाहार/समूह), तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण; समासः—क्षुत् + पिपासा (द्वन्द्व) + ādibhiḥ (etc.)

• kleśaiḥ: by afflictions
• kleśaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kleśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण

• tasmāt: therefore / from that (cause)
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान/हेतु (‘therefore/from that’)

• iha: here (in this life)
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• nipīḍyate: is oppressed / is tormented
• nipīḍyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + pīḍ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is oppressed’

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Brahmottara Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta-style narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering woman tormented by hunger and thirst, contrasted with a prior-life scene of refusing food-gifts; dharma personified as a witness, karma as an unseen ledger.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of charity—especially anna-dāna—ripens as embodied suffering; dharma expressed as giving protects one’s wellbeing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches general karma-phala within the Brahmottara narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna (donation of food) and allied forms of dāna are implied as dharmic duties.