Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 148

Devanagari script

यता तृणं पशूनां च नराणामन्नमुच्यते । एवं दैवतयोनीनामन्नसारस्य भोजनम्

Transliteration

yatā tṛṇaṃ paśūnāṃ ca narāṇāmannamucyate | evaṃ daivatayonīnāmannasārasya bhojanam

Translation

ดุจหญ้าเรียกว่าเป็นอาหารของสัตว์ และข้าวธัญพืชเป็นอาหารของมนุษย์ ฉันใด สำหรับผู้มีปฏิสนธิในภาวะทิพย์ อาหารของเขาคือ “สาระ” แห่งภักษาหารฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/just as')

• तृणम्: grass
• तृणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पशूनाम्: of animals
• पशूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• नराणाम्: of men/humans
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/in the same way')

• दैवतयोनीनाम्: of those of divine birth/species
• दैवतयोनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत-योनि (प्रातिपदिक; दैवत + योनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (दैवती योनि/दैवतस्य योनि)

• अन्नसारस्य: of the essence of food
• अन्नसारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न-सार (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न + सार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्नस्य सारः)

• भोजनम्: (is) the eating/consumption
• भोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau using a three-tier analogy: cattle grazing, humans eating cooked grain, and luminous subtle beings receiving a rising ‘essence’ from offerings at a ritual altar.

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different realms have different modes of ‘eating’: devas and subtle beings partake of the essence (sāra), validating ritual offering as subtle transfer.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly supports offering food in ritual with the understanding that subtle recipients take its essence.