Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

द्वितीयोऽयं महाराज यस्तिष्ठति तवाऽग्रतः । अनेनाऽन्नं सदा भुक्तमकृत्वा देवतार्चनम्

Transliteration

dvitīyo'yaṃ mahārāja yastiṣṭhati tavā'grataḥ | anenā'nnaṃ sadā bhuktamakṛtvā devatārcanam

Translation

Ô grand roi, ce second qui se tient devant toi prenait toujours sa nourriture sans avoir d’abord rendu un culte aux divinités.

Word by Word

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; 'अयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा (nominative singular)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, संबोधन (vocative singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• तिष्ठति: stands
• तिष्ठति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present indicative); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• तव: your
• तव: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्, षष्ठी (genitive singular)

• अग्रतः: in front (of)
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/postposition)

• अनेन: by him/with this (person)
• अनेन: Karta/Instrument (Agent/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, तृतीया (instrumental singular)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, द्वितीया (accusative singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• भुक्तम्: eaten
• भुक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate; passive participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + भुक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (food was eaten)

• अकृत्वा: without doing
• अकृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); नकार-पूर्वकं निषेधः (not having done)

• देवतार्चनम्: worship of the deities
• देवतार्चनम्: Karma (Object of 'akṛtvā')
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (अर्च्-धातुजन्य)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवतायाः अर्चनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, द्वितीया (accusative singular)

Speaker

Māṃsāda (preta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (mahārāja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The second sinner stands before the king; behind him a symbolic scene shows him eating while a neglected altar with unlit lamp and untouched flowers sits nearby.

Characters & Entities

• The King
• Vidaivata (implied)
• Devatāḥ (the deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily acts like eating are to be sacralized through remembrance and worship; neglect of devatā-arcana is treated as moral-spiritual failure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse teaches domestic/ritual dharma within a tīrthamāhātmya storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Devatā-arcana (worship/offerings to the deities) prior to taking food.