Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूतौवाच । तथान्योऽपि हि तत्रास्ति देवो मिष्टान्नदायकः । यस्य संदर्शनादेव मिष्टान्नं लभते नरः

Transliteration

sūtauvāca | tathānyo'pi hi tatrāsti devo miṣṭānnadāyakaḥ | yasya saṃdarśanādeva miṣṭānnaṃ labhate naraḥ

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า “ที่นั่นยังมีเทพอีกองค์หนึ่ง ผู้ประทานภักษาหารหวาน; เพียงได้เห็นพระองค์ มนุษย์ก็ได้รับเครื่องบูชาหวาน (ไนเวทยะ)”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• अन्यः: another
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (particle: indeed/for)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवः: a deity
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मिष्टान्नदायकः: giver of sweet food
• मिष्टान्नदायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मिष्टान्नं ददाति)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• संदर्शनात्: from (his) sight/seeing
• संदर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + दृश् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → संदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• मिष्टान्नम्: sweet food
• मिष्टान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (मिष्टं च तत् अन्नम्)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (miṣṭānna-dāyaka devatā shrine)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small shrine within a larger Śaiva kṣetra: pilgrims behold the deity; attendants distribute sweet rice/laddu-like prasāda; the atmosphere is fragrant with ghee and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Deva (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (reverent sight of the deity) itself is portrayed as a source of grace and tangible blessing, encouraging pilgrimage and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred locale within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (contextually near the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative), though the deity is unnamed in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the stated practice is darśana—visiting and beholding the deity.