Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

भोजयेयुर्महान्नेन न ते विंदंति दुर्गतिम् । यस्तु भाद्रपदे मासे कृष्णपक्षे महालयम्

Transliteration

bhojayeyurmahānnena na te viṃdaṃti durgatim | yastu bhādrapade māse kṛṣṇapakṣe mahālayam

Translation

…เลี้ยงท่านด้วยภัตตาหารอันอุดม ผู้เช่นนั้นย่อมไม่ประสบทุคติ แต่ผู้ใดในเดือนภัทรปท ในกฤษณปักษ์ ครั้นถึงมหาลยะ…

Word by Word

• भोजयेयुः: should feed
• भोजयेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भोजय (णिच्-प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; causative ‘should cause to eat/feed’

• महान्नेन: with abundant food
• महान्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘great food/abundant meal’)

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

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• विन्दन्ति: find/meet with
• विन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• दुर्गतिम्: misfortune/bad state
• दुर्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यः: he who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; relative pronoun

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (contrastive particle)

• भाद्रपदे: in Bhādrapada
• भाद्रपदे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाद्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• मासे: in the month
• मासे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• महालयम्: Mahālaya
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahālaya (Pitṛpakṣa) observance

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of Veda-versed brāhmaṇas being served abundant dishes on leaf plates; the donor’s family stands reverently. Above, satisfied pitṛs appear serene, and a dark cloud of ‘durgati’ disperses.

Characters & Entities

• Mahālaya
• Brāhmaṇas
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Generous, properly dedicated ancestral offerings protect one from durgati (adverse fate).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setukhaṇḍa setting underlies the teaching, while the verse spotlights Mahālaya-kāla as sacred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feed worthy Brāhmaṇas with sufficient food as part of Mahālaya śrāddha for the ancestors.