Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वे चान्नं परीप्संतो गताश्चण्डालवेश्मनि । ज्ञात्वान्नसंग्रहं तस्य प्रार्थयाञ्चक्रुरन्त्यजम्

Transliteration

sarve cānnaṃ parīpsaṃto gatāścaṇḍālaveśmani | jñātvānnasaṃgrahaṃ tasya prārthayāñcakrurantyajam

Translation

Tous, en quête de nourriture, se rendirent à la demeure d’un caṇḍāla. Apprenant qu’il avait des provisions en réserve, ils supplièrent cet homme tenu pour impur de leur donner à manger.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg)

• परीप्सन्तः: desiring; seeking
• परीप्सन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-ईप्स् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom pl; qualifying सर्वे)

• गताः: went; having gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP used adjectivally); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चण्डालवेश्मनि: to/in the house of a Caṇḍāla
• चण्डालवेश्मनि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल-वेश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; चण्डाल + वेश्मन्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: चण्डालस्य वेश्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc sg)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव

• अन्नसंग्रहम्: store/collection of food
• अन्नसंग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-संग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न + संग्रह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg)

• तस्य: of him/of that (Caṇḍāla)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रार्थयाम्: a request; entreaty
• प्रार्थयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-अर्थय् (धातु; णिजन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg); ‘request/entreaty’ (object of चक्रुः)

• चक्रुः: made; did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अन्त्यजम्: the outcaste (Caṇḍāla)
• अन्त्यजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc sg)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of hungry sages arrives at a humble caṇḍāla’s dwelling; the house shows stored grain jars/sacks. The moment is charged: revered ascetics at the threshold of a socially marginalized home.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis (sages)
• Caṇḍāla
• Anna (food)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, humility and the recognition of virtue transcend social labels; dharma is tested in real need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly tied to Prabhāsa-kṣetra through the origin-legend of Akṣamāleśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit emphasis on anna (food) as a dharmic resource; the explicit teaching on feeding appears in subsequent verses.