Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यावन्मात्रं च सा भुंक्त एकविप्रान्वितः स्वयम् । भुक्त्वा चैव ततो याति व्यवहारकृते बहिः

Transliteration

yāvanmātraṃ ca sā bhuṃkta ekaviprānvitaḥ svayam | bhuktvā caiva tato yāti vyavahārakṛte bahiḥ

Translation

ସେ ଯେତେ ଖାଉଥିଲା, ସେ ନିଜେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୋଟିଏ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ସହିତ ସେତେଇ ଖାଉଥିଲା; ଖାଇ ସାରି ବ୍ୟବହାର କାମରେ ପୁଣି ବାହାରକୁ ଯାଉଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• yāvat-mātram: only as much as
• yāvat-mātram: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial: 'as much as/only so much')

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

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• bhuṅkte: eats
• bhuṅkte: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (भुज् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• eka-vipra-anvitaḥ: accompanied by one Brahmin
• eka-vipra-anvitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (अन्वित, प्रातिपदिक; from anu + i 'go' + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (एकेन विप्रेण अन्वितः)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्तृबल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb: 'himself')

• bhuktvā: having eaten
• bhuktvā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (भुज् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having eaten)

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (then)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• vyavahāra-kṛte: for business/affairs
• vyavahāra-kṛte: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyavahāra (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृत, प्रातिपदिक; from kṛ 'do' + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (व्यवहारस्य कृते = 'for business')

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: 'outside')

Speaker

Unknown (narrative voice within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sparse meal scene: the wife eats; the husband mirrors her portion exactly, seated with a lone Brahmin guest—suggesting calculated propriety. Afterward, the husband departs briskly for business, leaving emotional emptiness behind.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External displays of respectability (company of a vipra) cannot cover inner adharma; dharma is proven by daily conduct and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse mentions dining and business, not worship or pilgrimage rites.