Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मेऽस्ति परा प्रीतिर्भक्तिश्च नृपसत्तम । तत्कुरुष्व मया दत्तं स्वहस्तेनैव भोजनम्

Transliteration

tasmānme'sti parā prītirbhaktiśca nṛpasattama | tatkuruṣva mayā dattaṃ svahastenaiva bhojanam

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô meilleur des rois, j’ai pour toi une grande affection et une dévotion fervente. Reçois donc ce repas que je t’offre moi-même, servi de mes propres mains.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्ययप्रयोग (ablative used adverbially: “therefore/from that reason”)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic form

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• परा: supreme/great
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (प्रीतिः)

• प्रीतिः: affection/pleasure
• प्रीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां सत्तमः = “best among kings”)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; “that (thing)”

• कुरुष्व: do (please do)
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (कुरुष्व)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भोजनम्)

• स्वहस्तेन: with (my) own hand
• स्वहस्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य हस्तेन = “with one’s own hand”)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle: “indeed/only”)

• भोजनम्: meal/food
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Jamadagni

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal seer (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Jamadagni warmly invites the king to accept a meal prepared and served by the sage himself; the scene shows a simple but sanctified meal in the hermitage, with the king receiving respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• Nṛpasattama (the king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality becomes devotion: feeding a guest personally is treated as a meritorious, sacred act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the tīrtha-māhātmya ambiance by sanctifying the āśrama as a place where dharma is enacted; no specific tīrtha name appears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annadāna/hospitality: accepting food offered with reverence, directly served by the host.