Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

चांडालोच्छिष्टपिंडेन जठराग्निमतर्पयत् । एवं कृच्छ्रेण महता नीत्वा सुबहुलं वयः

Transliteration

cāṃḍālocchiṣṭapiṃḍena jaṭharāgnimatarpayat | evaṃ kṛcchreṇa mahatā nītvā subahulaṃ vayaḥ

Translation

ചാണ്ഡാലന്റെ ഉച്ഛിഷ്ട അന്നകണങ്ങളാൽ മാത്രമേ അവൾ വയറിലെ അഗ്നിയെ എങ്ങനെയോ തൃപ്തിപ്പെടുത്തിയിരുന്നുള്ളൂ. ഇങ്ങനെ മഹാദുഃഖം സഹിച്ച് അവൾ ദീർഘകാലം ജീവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• चाण्डाल: of a caṇḍāla
• चाण्डाल: Sambandha (Genitive relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसम्बन्धे पूर्वपद (in compound), मूलार्थः ‘चाण्डालः’

• उच्छिष्ट: leftover/defiled
• उच्छिष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासे विशेषणपद (in compound), ‘उच्छिष्टम्’ = left-over/defiled

• पिण्डेन: with a lump/ball (of food) left by a caṇḍāla
• पिण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: चाण्डालस्य उच्छिष्टः पिण्डः → चाण्डालोच्छिष्टपिण्डः; तेन (instrumental)

• जठर: belly
• जठर: Sambandha (Relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासे पूर्वपद (in compound), ‘जठरम्’ = belly

• अग्निम्: the digestive fire
• अग्निम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: जठरस्य अग्निः → जठराग्निः; कर्मपद (object)

• अतर्पयत्: (he/she) satisfied/fed
• अतर्पयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत) परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; causative sense in usage: ‘अतर्पयत्’ = satisfied/fed

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• कृच्छ्रेण: with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रेण: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; साधन/हेतौ (by/with hardship)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; ‘कृच्छ्रेण’ इति विशेषणम् (agreeing adjective)

• नीत्वा: having passed/spent
• नीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘नी’ धातोः; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having led/passed)

• सुबहुलम्: very much/abundant
• सुबहुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘वयः’ इति विशेषणम्; समासः कर्मधारयः: सु + बहुल = very much/abundant

• वयः: age/time of life
• वयः: Karman (Object of ‘नीत्वा’—spent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; कालपरिमाणरूपेण (as duration/age)

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in snippet; likely the Purāṇic narrator in Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated elderly woman in ragged cloth, crouched near a roadside, clutching a small leftover morsel; stark contrast between her frailty and the implied sacred world beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates the depths of deprivation and implicitly praises the merit of feeding others, a central Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is narrative, though it supports the dharmic value of anna-dāna.