Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो दत्त्वाश्नात्यमृतं गृही । स्वार्थं पचन्नघं भुंक्ते केवलं स्वोदरंभरिः

Transliteration

pitṛdevamanuṣyebhyo dattvāśnātyamṛtaṃ gṛhī | svārthaṃ pacannaghaṃ bhuṃkte kevalaṃ svodaraṃbhariḥ

Translation

祖霊と神々と人々にまず食を捧げ、その後に自ら食する家長は、甘露（アムリタ）を味わう。だが己が利のためだけに煮炊きする者は、罪のみを食らい、ただ己の腹を満たす者にすぎぬ。

Word by Word

• पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यः: to the fathers, gods, and humans
• पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative; 'to/for' sense with -भ्यः), बहुवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अमृतम्: nectar; ambrosia (i.e., meritful food)
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृही: the householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वार्थम्: one’s own interest
• स्वार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पचन्: cooking
• पचन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अघम्: sin
• अघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys/consumes
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb)

• स्वोदरंभरिः: one who fills only his own belly
• स्वोदरंभरिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक) + भरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्य उदरं स्वेन भर्यते'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī householder serves portions of cooked food first to a pitṛ-śrāddha plate, then to a small deva-offering near a lamp, and then to a guest/poor person at the doorway; only afterward he eats calmly.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eating becomes purifying when preceded by offerings and sharing; selfish consumption turns food into sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Varanasi/Kashi), where daily dharma is praised as part of Kāśī’s sacred life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer food first to Pitṛs, Devas, and people (charity/hospitality) before the householder eats.