Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

भक्ष्यभोज्यान्न पानैश्च या पूजा क्रियते नरैः । पितामहं समुद्दिश्य सा भक्तिर्लौकिकी मता

Transliteration

bhakṣyabhojyānna pānaiśca yā pūjā kriyate naraiḥ | pitāmahaṃ samuddiśya sā bhaktirlaukikī matā

Translation

Le culte que les hommes accomplissent avec des douceurs, des mets cuits, des grains et des boissons—en l’adressant à Pitāmaha (le Grand-Père, Brahmā)—est tenu pour une dévotion mondaine (laukikī bhakti).

Word by Word

• भक्ष्य: edibles
• भक्ष्य: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• भोज्य: foods (to be eaten)
• भोज्य: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग

• अन्न: edibles, foods, and rice/food
• अन्न: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — समासाङ्ग; समासः—भक्ष्य-भोज्य-अन्न (द्वन्द्वः)

• पानैः: with drinks
• पानैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• या: which
• या: कर्म/विशेष्य-निर्देश (relative: ‘which’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• पूजा: worship
• पूजा: कर्म (Object; with passive verb)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (present indicative, 3rd sg, passive)

• नरैः: by men/people
• नरैः: कर्ता (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• पितामहम्: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)/grandfather
• पितामहम्: कर्म (Object of absolutive sense: ‘aiming at’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• समुद्दिश्य: addressing/with reference to
• समुद्दिश्य: प्रयोजन/सम्बन्ध (purpose/reference)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-उद्-दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having directed/with reference to’

• सा: that
• सा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: कर्ता/विशेष्य (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• लौकिकी: worldly/common
• लौकिकी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular); भक्तिः-विशेषण

• मता: is considered
• मता: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘considered’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in Prabhāsa arrange naivedya—sweets, cooked rice, grains, and water-drinks—before a four-faced Brahmā icon, while a narrator explains that such offering-based worship is laukikī bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Pūjā
• Food offerings (bhakṣya/bhojya/anna/pāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering food and drink as worship is a valid but ‘worldly’ mode of devotion when framed as a conventional religious act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The classification of devotion is taught within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā using edible offerings—sweets, meals, grains, and drinks—dedicated here to Pitāmaha (Brahmā).