Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततः स पृथिवीपालो यथासिद्धं सुसंस्कृम् । अन्नं भोज्यकृते तस्मै प्रददौ स्वयमेव हि

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālo yathāsiddhaṃ susaṃskṛm | annaṃ bhojyakṛte tasmai pradadau svayameva hi

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അനന്തരം ഭൂമിപാലനായ രാജാവ് യഥാസിദ്ധമായി നന്നായി സംസ്കരിച്ച അന്നം, ഭോജനാർത്ഥം അവനു സ്വയം നൽകി.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/अनुक्रम-बोधक अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पृथिवीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• पृथिवीपालः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पृथिव्याः पालः)

• यथासिद्धम्: as prescribed / duly
• यथासिद्धम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + सिद्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (as is proper/according to rule)

• सुसंस्कृतम्: well-prepared
• सुसंस्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + संस्कृ (धातु) → संस्कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्नम् इत्यस्य)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भोज्यकृते: for eating / for a meal
• भोज्यकृते: Sampradana/Prayojana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी (for the purpose of eating)

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रददौ: gave
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-vishesana (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः कर्तृत्व-बोधक (oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic/only)

• हि: for / indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (for/indeed)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king respectfully offers a brāhmaṇa guest a well-prepared meal with his own hands, in a palace or tīrtha-side rest house; attendants stand back as the act is personal and reverential.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• King
• Durvāsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True rāja-dharma includes humble, hands-on service—personally ensuring a guest is fed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrthamāhātmya narrative frame but does not identify a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-bhojana/anna-dāna: offering properly prepared food to the guest.