Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पुष्करारण्यमाश्रित्य शाकमूलफलैरपि । एकस्मिन्भोजिते विप्रे कोटिर्भवति भोजिता

Transliteration

puṣkarāraṇyamāśritya śākamūlaphalairapi | ekasminbhojite vipre koṭirbhavati bhojitā

Translation

పుష్కర అరణ్యాన్ని ఆశ్రయించి, కూరలు–మూలాలు–ఫలముల మాత్రముతోనైనా ఒక బ్రాహ్మణునికి భోజనం పెట్టినచో, అక్కడ ఒక్క బ్రాహ్మణుని భోజనమే కోటి మందికి భోజనం పెట్టిన ఫలముగా భావింపబడును।

Word by Word

• पुष्करारण्यम्: the forest of Puṣkara
• पुष्करारण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर-आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक; पुष्कर + आरण्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुष्करस्य आरण्यम्)

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having resorted to/after taking refuge in’

• शाकमूलफलैः: with vegetables, roots, and fruits
• शाकमूलफलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक-मूल-फल (प्रातिपदिक; शाक + मूल + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (शाकं च मूलं च फलं च)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even/also’

• एकस्मिन्: in one (instance)
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in one (case/instance)’

• भोजिते: when fed
• भोजिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त; √भुज्/भोज् धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), ‘when (someone) has been fed’

• विप्रे: (in the case of) a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in/with respect to a brāhmaṇa’

• कोटिः: a crore (ten million)
• कोटिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भोजिता: (equivalent) feeding (counted as)
• भोजिता: Karta (Predicate nominal/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजित (कृदन्त; √भुज्/भोज् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) स्त्रीप्रत्यय, ‘(act of) feeding / one who is fed’ (context: feeding-count)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sandy Puṣkara forest near the lake, a pilgrim offers a simple leaf-plate meal of vegetables, roots, and fruits to a seated brāhmaṇa; the background suggests the sacred lake and distant ghāṭas, conveying the idea of merit multiplying beyond measure.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkarāraṇya
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity gains extraordinary merit when performed in a highly sanctified place, even if the offering is simple.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkarāraṇya (the forest precinct of Puṣkara) is praised as a powerful field for merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feeding a brāhmaṇa (a form of dāna/annadāna), even with simple sāttvika foods like roots and fruits.