Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कच्चिदस्तंगते सूर्ये नान्नमश्नासि भाभिनि । अदत्त्वा वा स्वभृत्येभ्यः साधुभ्यश्च विशेषतः

Transliteration

kaccidastaṃgate sūrye nānnamaśnāsi bhābhini | adattvā vā svabhṛtyebhyaḥ sādhubhyaśca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

ஒளிமிகுந்தவளே! சூரியன் அஸ்தமித்த பின் நீ உணவு உண்ணாமல் இருப்பாயா—முக்கியமாக உன் சார்ந்தோருக்கும் சாதுமக்களுக்கும் முதலில் அளிக்காமல்?

Word by Word

• कच्चित्: whether? (I hope)
• कच्चित्: Sambandha (Discourse/प्रश्नसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कच्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• अस्तंगते: when (it is) set
• अस्तंगते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्तं-गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘gone to setting’

• सूर्ये: in/at the sun (i.e., when the sun)
• सूर्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• अश्नासि: you eat
• अश्नासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present Indicative, 2nd person singular)

• भाभिनि: O radiant one
• भाभिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाभिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (negative gerund) ‘without giving’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• स्वभृत्येभ्यः: to your own servants
• स्वभृत्येभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन (Masculine, Dative, Plural); ‘one’s own servants’

• साधुभ्यः: to the good/saints
• साधुभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन (Masculine, Dative, Plural)

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

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverb) ‘especially’

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk with the sun set, a householder/pilgrim refrains from dining; lamps are lit; food is first served to dependents and a visiting sadhu seated calmly.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Sādhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One’s personal comfort should follow duty: care for dependents and honoring the virtuous come before one’s own meal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this particular verse; it is part of dharma counsel within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restraint regarding eating after sunset is implied, along with the rule to give food first to dependents and sādhus.