Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

गौरिणीर्भोजयामास मृष्टान्नैर्भोजनै रसैः । तैलक्षारपरित्यक्तैर्गन्धैः कुंकुमपूर्वकैः

Transliteration

gauriṇīrbhojayāmāsa mṛṣṭānnairbhojanai rasaiḥ | tailakṣāraparityaktairgandhaiḥ kuṃkumapūrvakaiḥ

Translation

She fed the women devoted to Gaurī with refined foods, nourishing dishes, and flavorful preparations; and she used fragrances free from oil and alkaline substances, beginning with offerings of kuṅkuma.

Word by Word

• गौरिणीः: Gaurīs (women devoted to Gaurī / Gaurī-worshippers)
• गौरिणीः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मपदम्

• भोजयामास: fed
• भोजयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु, परस्मैपद) → भोजय (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: 'caused to eat/fed')

• मृष्टान्नैः: with delicious food
• मृष्टान्नैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृष्ट + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (मृष्टम् अन्नम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/साधन (instrumental: 'with')

• भोजनैः: with meals/dishes
• भोजनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• रसैः: with juices/flavours
• रसैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• तैलक्षारपरित्यक्तैः: with (fragrances) free from oil and alkali
• तैलक्षारपरित्यक्तैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल + क्षार + परित्यक्त (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तैलं च क्षारं च परित्यक्तम्); क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'गन्धैः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• गन्धैः: with fragrances/perfumes
• गन्धैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• कुंकुमपूर्वकैः: with saffron as the foremost/including saffron
• कुंकुमपूर्वकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुङ्कुम + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुङ्कुमं पूर्वं यस्य/येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'गन्धैः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotional feast for Gaurī-worshipping women: rows of seated women receiving refined dishes; ritual tray with kumkuma and fragrant offerings; emphasis on purity and auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Gaurī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is completed by service—especially feeding the pious—performed with ritual purity and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the focus is on vrata-ācāra (vow-based conduct).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhojana-dāna to Gaurī-votaries, with pure offerings—avoiding oil/alkali—and using fragrance and kuṃkuma.