Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

भोजयित्वा द्विजान्सर्वान्धर्मारण्य निवासिनः । अष्टादशसहस्राणि सपुत्रांश्च तदा नृप

Transliteration

bhojayitvā dvijānsarvāndharmāraṇya nivāsinaḥ | aṣṭādaśasahasrāṇi saputrāṃśca tadā nṛpa

Translation

Ô roi, après avoir nourri tous les dvija qui demeuraient dans le Dharmāraṇya—au nombre de dix-huit mille, avec leurs fils—

Word by Word

• भोजयित्वा: having fed
• भोजयित्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भोजयितुम् (तुमुन्) from causative √भुज्/√भोज् (धातु) ‘to feed’ → भोजयित्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having fed)

• द्विजान्: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘all’ (qualifying द्विजान्)

• धर्मारण्य-निवासिनः: residents of Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्य-निवासिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म+अरण्य, समास) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘धर्मारण्ये निवसन्ति’ (those dwelling in Dharmāraṇya)

• अष्टादश-सहस्राणि: eighteen thousand
• अष्टादश-सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टादश (संख्या) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्या-समास (eighteen-thousands)

• स-पुत्रान्: together with (their) sons
• स-पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्गसदृश ‘with’) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘पुत्रैः सह’ (together with sons)

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

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; addressing a king: nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast assembly of dvijas in Dharmāraṇya—eighteen thousand with their sons—seated in orderly lines; servers move rhythmically with pots and ladles; the king is addressed in the narration, implying royal patronage or witness.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Large-scale charity and feeding of the learned is portrayed as a hallmark of righteous rule and sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is glorified as a holy residence of dharma where serving its inhabitants yields great puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhojana-dāna (feeding) to dvijas, including their families, as part of a dharmic ceremonial context.