Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भुज्यते यत्र भूपाल वेंश्वदेवं विना नरैः । पाकस्याग्रमदत्त्वा च प्रेता भुंजति तत्र च

Transliteration

bhujyate yatra bhūpāla veṃśvadevaṃ vinā naraiḥ | pākasyāgramadattvā ca pretā bhuṃjati tatra ca

Translation

Wahai Raja, di mana orang makan tanpa melakukan persembahan Vaiśvadeva, dan di mana bahagian pertama makanan yang dimasak tidak diberikan—di situ juga preta akan makan.

Word by Word

• भुज्यते: is eaten (people eat)
• भुज्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (present passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (where)

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• वैश्वदेवम्: the Vaiśvadeva offering/rite
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.); (वैश्वदेव-यज्ञ/हविः)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (preposition) तृतीया-सह (with instrumental)

• नरैः: by men, by people
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• पाकस्य: of the cooked food/cooking
• पाकस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• अग्रम्: the first portion
• अग्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) नकार-निषेध सहित; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having not given)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• प्रेताः: ghosts
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• भुञ्जति: eat
• भुञ्जति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (bhūpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family about to eat; a small offering is made to the sacred fire and the first portion is set aside. In the alternate (neglect) vignette, pretas hover near the food, indicating loss of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eating becomes dharmic when preceded by offerings; neglecting daily oblations turns the meal spiritually fruitless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single location is specified in this verse; it provides general dharma within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Vaiśvadeva and offer the first portion of cooked food before eating.