Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

भोजयेद्यः शतं तेषां सहस्रं लभते नरः । एकस्य योगयुक्तस्य तत्फलं कवयो विदुः

Transliteration

bhojayedyaḥ śataṃ teṣāṃ sahasraṃ labhate naraḥ | ekasya yogayuktasya tatphalaṃ kavayo viduḥ

Translation

അവരിൽ നൂറുപേരെ ഭോജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ആയിരംപേരെ ഭോജനിപ്പിച്ചതിന്റെ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; എന്നാൽ യോഗയുക്തനായ ഒരാളെയെങ്കിലും ഭോജനിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഫലം അതിലും ശ്രേഷ്ഠമാണെന്ന് മുനികൾ അറിയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• भोजयेत्: should feed / let (him) feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भोजय् (धातु √भुज्/भोज् causative, णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; संख्या

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; pronoun

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; संख्या

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु √लभ्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• एकस्य: of one
• एकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; used adjectivally

• योगयुक्तस्य: of one who is yoga-endowed
• योगयुक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक); युक्त (कृदन्त from √युज्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; योगेन युक्तः (endowed with yoga)

• तत्-फलम्: that result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; तस्य फलम् (its fruit/result)

• कवयः: sages/poets
• कवयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• विदुः: know / have declared
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु √विद्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by nearby verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Narmadā-side tīrtha offers a respectful meal to a serene yogin; behind them a line of ordinary guests fades, indicating the yogin’s superior merit.

Characters & Entities

• Yoga-yukta
• Bhojana
• Kavayaḥ (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the spiritually disciplined (yoga-yukta) carries exceptional transformative merit beyond numerical measures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to Somatīrtha’s praise in the Revākhaṇḍa, framing charity there as highly potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice annadāna (feeding), with emphasis on honoring spiritually accomplished recipients for the highest fruit.