Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

एकसार्थप्रयाताय क्षुत्क्षामायावसीदते । अदत्त्वा भोजनं यैश्च कृतं तेऽत्र व्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

ekasārthaprayātāya kṣutkṣāmāyāvasīdate | adattvā bhojanaṃ yaiśca kṛtaṃ te'tra vyavasthitāḥ

Translation

ଏକ ସାର୍ଥ ସହ ଯାତ୍ରା କରୁଥିବା, ଭୁଖରେ କ୍ଷୀଣ ହୋଇ ଢଳିପଡୁଥିବା ପଥିକକୁ ଭୋଜନ ନ ଦେଇ ଯେମାନେ ସ୍ୱୟଂ ଭୋଜନ କରିଛନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ଏଠାରେ ରହିବାକୁ ବାଧ୍ୟ ହୁଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• एकसार्थप्रयाताय: to one who had set out with a caravan
• एकसार्थप्रयाताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + सार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘एकेन सार्थेन प्रयात’ इत्यर्थे — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• क्षुत्क्षामाय: to one emaciated by hunger
• क्षुत्क्षामाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘क्षुत्-क्षाम’ = भूखया क्षीणः — Masculine, Dative, Singular; adjective

• अवसीदते: sinks down, becomes distressed
• अवसीदते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person singular, Ātmanepada

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दा (धातु) → अदत्त्वा (कृदन्त, त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), निषेधपूर्वक — Absolutive/gerund: ‘without giving’

• भोजनम्: food
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; relative pronoun

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

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे — Past passive participle; Neuter, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• व्यवस्थिताः: are stationed/placed
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Durgama (Naraka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A caravan road scene: a hunger-stricken traveler collapses; a householder/merchant refuses food. The scene transitions to Durgama hell where the refuser is driven across thorns amid snakes and scorpions.

Characters & Entities

• Traveler
• Caravan (sārtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality to the hungry—especially travelers and pilgrims—is a core dharma; refusing it brings severe karmic reaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a particular tīrtha; it teaches dharma within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna to the hungry traveler is the implied practice.