Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथासौ बुभुजे विप्रः क्षुत्क्षामस्त्वरयान्वितः । अविन्दन्न रसास्वादं बृहद्ग्रासैर्मुदान्वितः

Transliteration

athāsau bubhuje vipraḥ kṣutkṣāmastvarayānvitaḥ | avindanna rasāsvādaṃ bṛhadgrāsairmudānvitaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ആ വിപ്രൻ വിശപ്പാൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ച് അതിവേഗം ഭോജനം ചെയ്തു. സന്തോഷത്തോടെ വലിയ വലിയ ഗ്രാസങ്ങൾ എടുത്തതിനാൽ, രുചിയുടെ വ്യത്യാസം തിരിച്ചറിയാനായില്ല.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भ-बोधक (then/now)

• असौ: that man (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बुभुजे: ate / enjoyed
• बुभुजे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षुत्क्षामः: emaciated from hunger
• क्षुत्क्षामः: Karta-vishesana (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (क्षुत्या क्षामः = hunger-worn)

• त्वरया: with haste
• त्वरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अन्वितः: endowed/possessed (with)
• अन्वितः: Karta-vishesana (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विप्रः)

• अविन्दत्: found / experienced
• अविन्दत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) + अव (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रसास्वादम्: taste/flavor
• रसास्वादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रसस्य आस्वादः)

• बृहद्ग्रासैः: with large mouthfuls
• बृहद्ग्रासैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (बृहन्तः ग्रासाः)

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्वितः: accompanied (by)
• अन्वितः: Karta-vishesana (Agent-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वि (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विप्रः)

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hungry brāhmaṇa eats quickly, taking large mouthfuls, focused on satiation rather than taste; the abundance of food surrounds him, while the king watches with satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Durvāsā (Vipra)
• King

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in righteous acts like feeding a guest, circumstances (haste, hunger) can obscure discernment—setting the stage for unintended transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative detail within the Tīrthamāhātmya; it does not name a particular pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly connected to pāraṇa (ending a vrata) through eating; no step-by-step ritual is stated here.