Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अविभज्य न चाश्नीयाद्देवपित्रतिथिष्वपि । परिचारकवर्गेषु गोषु भिक्षुकुलेषु च

Transliteration

avibhajya na cāśnīyāddevapitratithiṣvapi | paricārakavargeṣu goṣu bhikṣukuleṣu ca

Translation

Ia tidak boleh makan tanpa terlebih dahulu membagi dan membagikan—bahkan untuk para dewa, leluhur (pitṛ), dan tamu; juga kepada para pelayan, sapi-sapi, serta keluarga para pengemis suci.

Word by Word

• avibhajya: without dividing
• avibhajya: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi√bhaj (धातु) → vibhajya (कृदन्त) with a- (नञ्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive) with नञ्; ‘without dividing/sharing’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• āśnīyāt: should eat
• āśnīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• deva-pitṛ-atithiṣu: among gods, ancestors, and guests
• deva-pitṛ-atithiṣu: Adhikarana (Context/विषयाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देवाः च पितरः च अतिथयः च)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-निपात (even/also)

• paricāraka-vargeṣu: in groups of attendants
• paricāraka-vargeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paricāraka (प्रातिपदिक) + varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (परिचारकाणां वर्गेषु)

• goṣu: among cows
• goṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• bhikṣu-kuleṣu: in families/communities of mendicants
• bhikṣu-kuleṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (भिक्षूणां कुलेषु)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meal distribution tableau: offerings placed at a small shrine, a guest seated respectfully, servants and children receiving portions, a cow being fed, and a mendicant family at the gate receiving alms—household as a hub of dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food is a trust—one should nourish others first (gods, ancestors, guests, dependents), embodying generosity and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred-living framework; it reinforces Kāśī’s reputation as a city of dharma and hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Distribution prior to eating: offerings/allocations connected with deva and pitṛ duties, and feeding atithis, cows, servants, and mendicants.