Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेद्भक्त्या शिवभक्तांश्च योगिनः । एवं कृते ततो राजन् सम्यक्तीर्थफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇān bhojayedbhaktyā śivabhaktāṃśca yoginaḥ | evaṃ kṛte tato rājan samyaktīrthaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

भक्त्या ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेत्, शिवभक्तान् योगिनश्च; एवं कृते ततो राजन् सम्यक् तीर्थफलं लभेत्।

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• bhojayet: should feed
• bhojayet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु) [णिच् causative: bhojayati]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Manner/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• śiva-bhaktān: devotees of Śiva
• śiva-bhaktān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śivasya bhaktāḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• yoginaḥ: yogins
• yoginaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन (कर्मपदत्वे)

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• kṛte: when (it is) done
• kṛte: Adhikaraṇa (Sati-saptamī/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; लोके सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): 'when this is done'

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Sequence/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः (thereupon/then)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• samyak-tīrtha-phalam: the full fruit of the pilgrimage
• samyak-tīrtha-phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samyak (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (tīrthasya phalam; samyak इति विशेषणपूर्वपद)

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; internal vocative indicates instruction addressed to a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside feeding pavilion: brāhmaṇas and ash-smeared yogins sit in rows; the pilgrim offers food with folded hands; Śiva symbols (tripuṇḍra, rudrākṣa) are visible; the river glints nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Brāhmaṇa
• Yogin
• Rājan (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by service—especially feeding the righteous—uniting devotion with social-religious duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha setting of the chapter, where pilgrimage merit is tied to dāna and hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Annadāna: feeding brāhmaṇas and Śiva-devoted yogins with devotion.