Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

पक्वान्नैर्भो जयेद्विप्रान्यतिनोपि तपस्विनः । लड्डुकैः फेणिकाभिश्च वटकेंडरिकादिभिः

Transliteration

pakvānnairbho jayedviprānyatinopi tapasvinaḥ | laḍḍukaiḥ pheṇikābhiśca vaṭakeṃḍarikādibhiḥ

Translation

पके हुए अन्न से ब्राह्मणों को भोजन कराकर प्रसन्न करे, तथा यति और अन्य तपस्वियों को भी। लड्डू, फेणिका, वटका, एण्डरिका आदि मिष्ठानों से (दान/अर्पण) करे।

Word by Word

• पक्वान्नैः: with cooked food
• पक्वान्नैः: करणम् (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्व + अन्न (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (पक्वम् अन्नम्)

• भोः: O!
• भोः: सम्बोधनम् (Address)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बोधन-निपात/vocative particle)

• जयेत्: should honor/please; should win over
• जयेत्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• यतिना: with an ascetic
• यतिना: सह/करणम् (means/association; context: along with ascetics)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अवधारण; also/even)

• तपस्विनः: ascetics; penitents
• तपस्विनः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (तपस्विन्-शब्दः; -इन् अन्त)

• लड्डुकैः: with laddus (sweet balls)
• लड्डुकैः: करणम् (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लड्डुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• फेणिकाभिः: with pheṇikā sweets
• फेणिकाभिः: करणम् (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेणिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• वटक-इंडरिक-आदिभिः: with vaṭaka, iṇḍarikā, and the like
• वटक-इंडरिक-आदिभिः: करणम् (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटक + इण्डरिका + आदि (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आदि-शब्देन ‘इत्यादि’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī dāna during Māgha observance

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor at a Kāśī ghat distributes cooked rice and sweets to seated brāhmaṇas and saffron-robed yatis; leaf-plates, brass vessels, and orderly lines; winter morning light.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Yati
• Tapasvin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality and food-giving (annadāna) to the worthy is a direct path to puṇya, especially during sacred months.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred landscape; the verse fits the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s celebration of merit-producing acts in Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer cooked foods and traditional sweets to brāhmaṇas, ascetics, and tapasvins as an act of dāna.