Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

तथातथा ममातीव क्षुद्वृद्धिं संप्रगच्छति । जाने किं भक्षयाम्याशु दृषदः काष्ठमेव वा

Transliteration

tathātathā mamātīva kṣudvṛddhiṃ saṃpragacchati | jāne kiṃ bhakṣayāmyāśu dṛṣadaḥ kāṣṭhameva vā

Translation

ಹೀಗೆ ಹೀಗೆ ನನ್ನ ಹಸಿವು ಅತ್ಯಂತವಾಗಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತಲೇ ಹೋಯಿತು. ನಾನು ಯೋಚಿಸಿದೆ—ತಕ್ಷಣ ಏನು ತಿನ್ನಲಿ, ಕಲ್ಲನ್ನೋ ಅಥವಾ ಕಟ್ಟಿಗೆಯನ್ನೋ?

Word by Word

• तथा तथा: again and again / in that manner repeatedly
• तथा तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (reduplication for emphasis)

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रता-वाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• क्षुद्वृद्धिम्: increase of hunger
• क्षुद्वृद्धिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षुधायाः वृद्धि: increase of hunger)

• संप्रगच्छति: goes to / attains / increases
• संप्रगच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सम्+प्र

• जाने: I know
• जाने: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• भक्षयामि: shall I eat / do I eat
• भक्षयामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• दृषदः: stones
• दृषदः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन (Vedic/epic variant form for दृषदः = दृषदः/दृषदः < दृषदः; intended: दृषदः = stones)

• काष्ठम्: wood
• काष्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (particle of emphasis)

• वा: or
• वा: Connector (सम्बन्धक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक समुच्चय (disjunctive conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (first-person voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hungry soul in a celestial setting, looking around in desperation, imagining even stones or wood as food; the contrast between heavenly surroundings and inner deprivation is central.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unmet needs in the subtle realm can mirror failures of compassion in life, foreshadowing the doctrine of karmic reciprocity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this individual verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not stated directly here, but the theme points toward the merit of anna-dāna (giving food).