Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

कृत्वार्चनविधिं तस्य दत्त्वान्नं च सुसंस्कृतम् । उपविश्य ततः पश्चाद्भोजनार्थं ततो द्विजाः । पुष्पोऽपि वीक्षते तस्याः पादौ पंकजसंनिभौ

Transliteration

kṛtvārcanavidhiṃ tasya dattvānnaṃ ca susaṃskṛtam | upaviśya tataḥ paścādbhojanārthaṃ tato dvijāḥ | puṣpo'pi vīkṣate tasyāḥ pādau paṃkajasaṃnibhau

Translation

ครั้นประกอบพิธีต้อนรับตามแบบแผนแก่เขา และถวายภัตตาหารที่ปรุงอย่างประณีตแล้ว พราหมณ์ทั้งสองก็นั่งลงเพื่อฉัน ส่วนปุษปะก็ยังเฝ้ามองเท้าของสตรีนั้น อันดุจดอกบัว

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अर्चन-विधिम्: the procedure of worship
• अर्चन-विधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अर्चनस्य विधिः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

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

• सु-संस्कृतम्: well-prepared
• सु-संस्कृतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + संस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ ‘संस्कृ’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् अन्नम्-विशेषणम्; कर्मधारय (सु + संस्कृत)

• उपविश्य: having sat down
• उपविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/कालवाचक-अव्यय (afterwards)

• भोजन-अर्थम्: for eating
• भोजन-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (thereupon)

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुष्पः: Puṣpa
• पुष्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• वीक्षते: looks at, observes
• वीक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पादौ: feet (two)
• पादौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• पंकज-संनिभौ: lotus-like
• पंकज-संनिभौ: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पंकज (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (पंकजस्य संनिभौ); विशेषणम् पादौ-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After honoring the guest and serving well-prepared food, the brāhmaṇas sit to eat; Puṣpa’s eyes linger on the wife’s lotus-like feet, creating a subtle tension between sacred hospitality and emerging desire.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣpa
• brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid righteous acts like worship and hospitality, one must restrain the senses; unchecked desire undermines dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as narrative instruction within a tīrthamāhātmya chapter; it does not specify a tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana-vidhi (formal honoring) and offering properly prepared food to guests/brāhmaṇas.