Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ततो भक्त्या च गंधर्व क्षीरखण्डादिनिर्म्मितम् । भक्ष्यभोज्यैरनेकैश्च भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणानथ

Transliteration

tato bhaktyā ca gaṃdharva kṣīrakhaṇḍādinirmmitam | bhakṣyabhojyairanekaiśca bhojayedbrāhmaṇānatha

Translation

அதன்பின், ஓ கந்தர்வா, பக்தியுடன் பால்-சர்க்கரை முதலியவற்றால் செய்யப்பட்ட க்ஷீரகண்டம் போன்ற இனிப்புகளும் பலவகை உணவுகளும் கொண்டு பிராமணர்களுக்கு போஜனம் அளிக்க வேண்டும்।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन = Instrumental singular; ‘भक्त्या’ = with devotion

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) = conjunction ‘and’

• gandharva: O Gandharva
• gandharva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन = Vocative singular; संबोधन

• kṣīrakhaṇḍa-ādi-nirmmitam: made of kṣīrakhaṇḍa and the like
• kṣīrakhaṇḍa-ādi-nirmmitam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīrakhaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + nirmita (कृदन्त; √mā (मा) / √māna?; here ‘निर्मित’ from √mā/√māṅ? in sense ‘to make’, with नि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन = Nom./Acc. singular; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘निर्मित’ = made; समासः: ‘क्षीरखण्डादिभिः निर्मितम्’ (instrumental-tatpurusha sense)

• bhakṣya-bhojyaiḥ: with eatables and foods
• bhakṣya-bhojyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakṣya (कृदन्त; √bhakṣ (भक्ष्) + यत्) + bhojya (कृदन्त; √bhuj (भुज्) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन = Instrumental plural; द्वन्द्वसमास (इतरेतर) ‘भक्ष्यं च भोज्यं च’

• anekaiḥ: many
• anekaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन = Instrumental plural; ‘many’ (qualifies bhakṣya-bhojya)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) = and

• bhojayet: should feed
• bhojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (भुज्) (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन = should feed

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

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तरार्थक/प्रारम्भसूचक) = then/thereupon

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; verse includes an address to a Gandharva as listener/interlocutor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Someśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gandharva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a temple courtyard, rows of seated brāhmaṇas are served milk-based sweets and multiple dishes; the donor stands with folded hands, offering water for ācamana; the atmosphere is festive yet disciplined.

Characters & Entities

• Gandharva
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion culminates in generosity—feeding others, especially brāhmaṇas, is treated as an extension of sacred worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the vrata is completed with dharmic charity such as brāhmaṇa-bhojana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare milk-based sweets and varied foods and feed brāhmaṇas as part of the observance.