Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एकं भोजयते योऽत्र ब्राह्मणं शंसितव्रतम् । भोजितोऽहं भवेत्तेन सपत्नीको न संशयः

Transliteration

ekaṃ bhojayate yo'tra brāhmaṇaṃ śaṃsitavratam | bhojito'haṃ bhavettena sapatnīko na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Quiconque ici nourrit ne fût-ce qu’un seul brāhmaṇa, voué à des vœux dignes de louange, par cet acte me nourrit aussi, moi, avec mon épouse; il n’y a nul doute.

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular); संख्याविशेषणम्

• भोजयते: feeds
• भोजयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) (causative: भोजय-)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: causes to eat/feeds)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• शंसितव्रतम्: of praised/commended vows
• शंसितव्रतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित (शंस् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of ब्राह्मणम्)

• भोजितः: fed
• भोजितः: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (1st person pronoun), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual), तृतीया (instrumental 3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• सपत्नीको: together with (my) wife
• सपत्नीको: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (of अहम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Deity/presiding sacred presence of the tīrtha (speaking about acceptance of offerings through Brāhmaṇa-feeding)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaprabhāsa (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the interlocutor receiving tīrtha-māhātmya instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa offers a respectful meal to a vow-observing Brāhmaṇa; behind them, a subtle divine presence of Śiva with Pārvatī signifies that the offering reaches the divine couple.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Jalaprabhāsa (implied presiding presence)
• Consort (sapatnīka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to dharmic Brāhmaṇas at a tīrtha is equated with direct worship—charity becomes a form of deity-offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Jalaprabhāsa/Prabhāsa Kṣetra context (“atra”—here).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feeding (bhojana/anna-dāna) of a vow-observing Brāhmaṇa at the sacred place.