Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16
ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यदि त्वं भोक्तुकामस्तु समायातो व्रज द्रुतम् । एतस्यां सत्रशालायां भुञ्जते यत्र तापसाः । दीनान्धाः कृपणाश्चैव ततः क्षुत्क्षामकंठिताः
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yadi tvaṃ bhoktukāmastu samāyāto vraja drutam | etasyāṃ satraśālāyāṃ bhuñjate yatra tāpasāḥ | dīnāndhāḥ kṛpaṇāścaiva tataḥ kṣutkṣāmakaṃṭhitāḥ
Os brāhmaṇas disseram: “Se vieste desejando comer, vai depressa. Nesta satraśālā comem os ascetas—junto com os pobres, os cegos e os desamparados, com a garganta ressequida e enfraquecidos pela fome.”
Brāhmaṇāḥ (the brāhmaṇas/ritualists)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A bustling satraśālā within a tīrtha precinct: ascetics seated in rows receiving food; nearby the poor, blind, and destitute are guided to eat; brāhmaṇas direct a wandering tapasvin toward the hall; vessels of rice, gruel, and water are carried by attendants.
FAQs
A sacred community institutionalizes compassion—providing a dedicated place where ascetics and the needy are fed.
The verse highlights the practice of a satraśālā within the tīrtha narrative, but does not name the location in this excerpt.
Directing those seeking food to the satraśālā, reflecting anna-dāna as an organized dharmic support alongside yajña.