Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततस्तु नर्तकेभ्यश्च दीनांधेभ्यो विशेषतः । ददौ भोज्यं समि ष्टान्नं सवस्त्रं च द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatastu nartakebhyaśca dīnāṃdhebhyo viśeṣataḥ | dadau bhojyaṃ sami ṣṭānnaṃ savastraṃ ca dvijottamāḥ

Translation

അനന്തരം ആ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജൻ പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് നർത്തകര്ക്കും ദീനർക്കും അന്ധർക്കും ഉത്തമമായി പാകം ചെയ്ത ഭോജനവും വസ്ത്രവും ദാനമായി നൽകി।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): 'thereafter/then'

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): emphasis/contrast 'but/indeed'

• nartakebhyaḥ: to the dancers/actors
• nartakebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nartaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• dīnāndhebhyaḥ: to the poor and the blind
• dīnāndhebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna + andha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (dīna-andha = 'the poor and the blind'); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'especially/particularly'

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhojyam: food (edibles)
• bhojyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (that which is to be eaten)

• samiṣṭānnam: well-prepared cooked food
• samiṣṭānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samiṣṭa + anna (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (samiṣṭa-anna = 'well-prepared food'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• savastram: (food) along with clothing
• savastram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa + vastra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (sa-vastra = 'with clothing'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• dvijottamāḥ: the best Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijottamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (dvija-uttama = 'best of twice-born'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified brāhmaṇa patron distributes plates of iṣṭānna (choice cooked offerings) and folded garments to dancers, the poor, and blind recipients in a kṣetra courtyard; attendants arrange vessels; recipients receive with joined palms.

Characters & Entities

• Dīna (poor)
• Andha (blind)
• Nartaka (performers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate giving to the vulnerable—especially food and clothing—is a central Purāṇic expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna (distribution of cooked food) and vastra-dāna (clothing), directed particularly to those in need.