Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सेवते भर्त्तुरुच्छिष्टमिष्टमन्नं फलादिकम् । महाप्रसाद इत्युक्त्वा परिदत्तं प्रतीच्छति

Transliteration

sevate bhartturucchiṣṭamiṣṭamannaṃ phalādikam | mahāprasāda ityuktvā paridattaṃ pratīcchati

Translation

ಅವಳು ಗಂಡನ ಉಚ್ಛಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ಇಷ್ಟ ಅನ್ನ, ಫಲಾದಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸೇವಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ; ‘ಇದು ಮಹಾಪ್ರಸಾದ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ನೀಡಿದುದನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ.

Word by Word

• sevate: partakes/serves (oneself)
• sevate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sev (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bhartuḥ: of the husband/master
• bhartuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• ucchiṣṭam: leftover food
• ucchiṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• iṣṭam: desired, pleasing
• iṣṭam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• phala-ādikam: fruit and the like
• phala-ādikam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘फलम् आदि यस्य’ (etc. list-ending)

• mahāprasādaḥ: great consecrated offering (mahāprasāda)
• mahāprasādaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् प्रसादः)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-निपात (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √vac (धातु) → uktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• paridattam: given (to her)
• paridattam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari√dā (धातु) → paridatta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘given/handed over’

• pratīcchati: accepts, receives
• pratīcchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati√iṣ (धातु; ग्रहणार्थे)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Domestic scene: husband hands a small portion of food/fruit; wife receives with folded hands and serene smile, uttering ‘mahāprasāda’; a shrine lamp glows nearby, linking meal to worship.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cultivating humility and reverence—treating what is received in service as prasāda, a sanctified gift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s dharma-ethos is the setting; the verse supports the mahatmya by teaching sanctified living within the holy city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A vrata-like discipline of accepting and honoring what is given as ‘mahāprasāda’ (consecrated grace).