Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अशक्त्या भोज्यदानस्य देयं भक्त्या ततः परम् । तस्यान्नमपि तु स्तोकं येन तुष्टिं प्रगच्छति

Transliteration

aśaktyā bhojyadānasya deyaṃ bhaktyā tataḥ param | tasyānnamapi tu stokaṃ yena tuṣṭiṃ pragacchati

Translation

പൂർണ്ണഭോജനദാനം ചെയ്യാൻ ശേഷിയില്ലെങ്കിൽ പോലും ഭക്തിയോടെ എന്തെങ്കിലും നൽകണം—അതിഥിക്ക് തൃപ്തി ലഭിക്കുവാൻ അല്പം അന്നമെങ്കിലും നൽകേണ്ടതാണ്।

Word by Word

• aśaktyā: due to inability / for lack of capacity
• aśaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (अ-शक्ति) = अशक्त्या; Instrumental singular (by inability)

• bhojya-dānasya: of food-giving
• bhojya-dānasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojya (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भोज्यस्य दानम्) = भोज्यदानम्; Genitive singular (of giving food)

• deyam: should be given
• deyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा, धातु) → deya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘देय’ (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ) = to be given

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (with devotion)

• tataḥ: then / thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (ततः = then/thereafter/from that)

• param: higher / better / further
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (श्रेष्ठतरम्/अधिकम्)

• tasya: of him / of that (person)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Genitive singular (of him/that)

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (food)

• api: also / even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (but/indeed)

• stokam: a little
• stokam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (अल्पम्)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by which)

• tuṣṭim: satisfaction
• tuṣṭim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tuṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular (satisfaction)

• pragacchati: attains
• pragacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + gam (गम्, धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (he/it) attains/goes to

Speaker

Deductive (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration; likely Sūta speaking to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A modest householder offers a small portion of cooked rice/flatbread with folded hands to a weary traveler; the guest’s face shows contentment, emphasizing devotion over quantity.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Bhakti
• Anna-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion and intent sanctify giving; even minimal hospitality, when sincere, yields puṇya and fulfils dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse teaches universally applicable dharma within the Skanda Purana’s mahātmya ethos.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

When unable to provide a full meal, give at least a small portion of food with devotion to satisfy the guest.