Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

लेह्यैश्चोष्यैस्तथा चर्व्यैः खाद्यैरेव पृथग्विधैः । यावदिच्छा मुनेस्तस्य तथान्नैर्विविधैरपि

Transliteration

lehyaiścoṣyaistathā carvyaiḥ khādyaireva pṛthagvidhaiḥ | yāvadicchā munestasya tathānnairvividhairapi

Translation

He offered him distinct varieties of foods—those to be licked, sucked, chewed, and eaten—along with many kinds of dishes, as much as that sage desired.

Word by Word

• लेह्यैः: with lickable foods
• लेह्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेह्य (प्रातिपदिक; √लिह् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; ‘लेह्य’ = लेहनीय पदार्थ (lickable)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ओष्यैः: with suckable foods
• ओष्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओष्य (प्रातिपदिक; √उष्/√वस्? (धातु) से ‘चोष्य’ परम्परागत वर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘ओष्य/चोष्य’ = चोषणीय पदार्थ (suckable)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise/so’)

• चर्व्यैः: with chewable foods
• चर्व्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्व्य (प्रातिपदिक; √चर्व् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘चर्व्य’ = चर्वणीय पदार्थ (chewable)

• खाद्यैः: with edible foods
• खाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खाद्य (प्रातिपदिक; √खाद् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘खाद्य’ = खादनीय पदार्थ (edible)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पृथक्विधैः: with various distinct kinds
• पृथक्विधैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास: ‘पृथक्-विध’ = पृथग्विध (of various distinct kinds)

• यावत्: as much as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक अव्यय (as much as/so long as)

• इच्छा: desire
• इच्छा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (likewise)

• अन्नैः: with foods/meals
• अन्नैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (अन्नैः इति विशेष्य)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Narrator (implied, continuing the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a Rāma temple, attendants present multiple preparations—lickables, suckables, chewables, and full dishes—arranged in orderly offerings before a seated sage.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (Durvāsā context implied)
• Rāma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True giving adapts to the guest’s needs and desire, offering abundance with purity and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya’s sacred-temple milieu centered on Rāma-mandira.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna expressed through varied food offerings (lehya/coṣya/carvya/khādya), i.e., complete hospitality.