Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46
पितृदेवमनुष्येभ्यो दत्त्वाश्नात्यमृतं गृही । अदत्त्वान्नं च यो भुंक्ते केवलं स्वोदरंभरिः
pitṛdevamanuṣyebhyo dattvāśnātyamṛtaṃ gṛhī | adattvānnaṃ ca yo bhuṃkte kevalaṃ svodaraṃbhariḥ
പിതൃകൾക്കും ദേവന്മാർക്കും മനുഷ്യർക്കും നൽകി ഗൃഹസ്ഥൻ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നത് അമൃതസമം. എന്നാൽ നൽകാതെ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ വെറും സ്വന്തം വയർ നിറയ്ക്കുന്നവൻ മാത്രം।
Deductive (sectional narration; likely Sūta speaking in a dharma-teaching passage)
Scene: A householder offers portions to a small fire/altar, pours water for ancestors, and serves a guest; then he eats calmly, depicted as receiving ‘amṛta’ (a subtle luminous aura over the food). In contrast, a secondary vignette shows a greedy eater alone, shadowed.
FAQs
Food becomes sanctified by sharing; eating after offering is dharmic, while eating without giving is selfishness.
No tīrtha is named; the verse teaches universal household ethics.
Offer portions to pitṛs, devas, and humans (including guests/beggars) before taking one’s own meal.