Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणानां सहस्राणि भुंजते भवतां गृहे । दूरे जलाश्रयश्चैव न तावंतश्च किंकराः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānāṃ sahasrāṇi bhuṃjate bhavatāṃ gṛhe | dūre jalāśrayaścaiva na tāvaṃtaśca kiṃkarāḥ

Translation

Milhares de brāhmanes tomam sua refeição em vossa morada; contudo, o lugar da água é distante, e não há servidores em número suficiente.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇānām: of Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (Genitive Plural)

• sahasrāṇi: thousands
• sahasrāṇi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• bhuñjate: eat, partake
• bhuñjate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान) = Present; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• bhavatām: of you (respected)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी बहुवचनम् (honorific pronoun-like)

• gṛhe: in (your) house
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम् (Locative Singular)

• dūre: far away
• dūre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (locative used adverbially)

• jalāśrayaḥ: water-reservoir, water source
• jalāśrayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य आश्रयः); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• tāvantaḥ: so many, sufficient (in number)
• tāvantaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying kiṃkarāḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• kiṃkarāḥ: servants, attendants
• kiṃkarāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāṇḍava-kūpa (implied need for nearer water)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Draupadī points out the logistical strain: long line of brāhmaṇas being fed, distant water source, few attendants carrying pots; the Pāṇḍavas listen, concerned yet resolute.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
• Pāṇḍavas
• brāhmaṇas
• jalāśraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality to brāhmaṇas and guests must be supported by practical dharmic infrastructure—service (sevā) includes meeting basic needs like water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Pāṇḍavas’ āśrama-life and service are described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas) is referenced as an ongoing practice; the verse motivates arranging a nearby water source to support it.