Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदि त्वं भोक्तुकामस्तु समायातो व्रज द्रुतम् । एतस्यां सत्रशालायां भुञ्जते यत्र तापसाः । दीनान्धाः कृपणाश्चैव ततः क्षुत्क्षामकंठिताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yadi tvaṃ bhoktukāmastu samāyāto vraja drutam | etasyāṃ satraśālāyāṃ bhuñjate yatra tāpasāḥ | dīnāndhāḥ kṛpaṇāścaiva tataḥ kṣutkṣāmakaṃṭhitāḥ

Translation

バラモンたちは言った。「もし食を求めて来たのなら、急いで行きなさい。このサトラシャーラーでは苦行者たちが食し、貧しき者、盲なる者、困窮する者もまた、飢えにより喉を乾かし衰えている。」

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇāḥ: the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhoktukāmaḥ: desirous of eating
• bhoktukāmaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhoktu (कृदन्त, तुमुन् from √bhuj) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुमुनन्त-समासपूर्वपद (desiderative: 'desirous to eat')

• tu: indeed/then
• tu: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक (emphasis/contrast)

• samāyātaḥ: having come
• samāyātaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-√yā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'आगतः' (having come)

• vraja: go
• vraja: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• etasyām: in this
• etasyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सर्वनामविशेषण (demonstrative)

• satraśālāyām: in the alms/feeding hall
• satraśālāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satra + śālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (satra-syāḥ śālā)

• bhuñjate: they eat
• bhuñjate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• tāpasāḥ: ascetics
• tāpasāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• dīna-andhāḥ: the poor and blind
• dīna-andhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (dīnāś ca andhāś ca → dīnāndhāḥ)

• kṛpaṇāḥ: wretched/poor
• kṛpaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• tataḥ: therefore/from that
• tataḥ: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थे; हेत्वर्थ/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (from there/therefore)

• kṣut-kṣāma-kaṇṭhitāḥ: famished, emaciated
• kṣut-kṣāma-kaṇṭhitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣut (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣāma (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭhita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (hunger-thinned-throated = famished)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇāḥ (the brāhmaṇas/ritualists)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling satraśālā within a tīrtha precinct: ascetics seated in rows receiving food; nearby the poor, blind, and destitute are guided to eat; brāhmaṇas direct a wandering tapasvin toward the hall; vessels of rice, gruel, and water are carried by attendants.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas
• satraśālā
• tāpasas
• the poor and blind

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred community institutionalizes compassion—providing a dedicated place where ascetics and the needy are fed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse highlights the practice of a satraśālā within the tīrtha narrative, but does not name the location in this excerpt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Directing those seeking food to the satraśālā, reflecting anna-dāna as an organized dharmic support alongside yajña.