Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67
पितामह उवाच । त्वया नान्नं क्वचिद्दत्तं कस्यचित्पृथिवीतले । तेनात्रापि बुभुक्षा ते वृद्धिं गच्छति दुर्मते
pitāmaha uvāca | tvayā nānnaṃ kvaciddattaṃ kasyacitpṛthivītale | tenātrāpi bubhukṣā te vṛddhiṃ gacchati durmate
พระปิตามหะตรัสว่า “เจ้าไม่เคยถวายทานอาหารแก่ผู้ใดบนแผ่นดินเลย เพราะเหตุนั้น แม้ที่นี่ความหิวของเจ้าก็ยิ่งเพิ่มพูน—โอ้ผู้หลงผิด”
Brahmā (Pitāmaha/Prapitāmaha)
Listener: the petitioner/sufferer (unnamed in given excerpt)
Scene: Brahmā speaks with calm authority, explaining the cause: ‘You never gave food on earth; therefore hunger grows here too.’ The petitioner listens, chastened.
FAQs
Anna-dāna is fundamental dharma; neglecting to feed others creates a karmic imprint of hunger that follows the soul beyond death.
No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it delivers a universal dharma teaching within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.
The implied prescription is anna-dāna—offering food to others, especially the needy and worthy recipients.