Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मांसाद उवाच । भोज्यकाले गृहे यत्र स्त्रीणां युद्धं प्रवर्तते । अपि मन्त्रौषधीप्रायं प्रेता भुंजति तत्र हि

Transliteration

māṃsāda uvāca | bhojyakāle gṛhe yatra strīṇāṃ yuddhaṃ pravartate | api mantrauṣadhīprāyaṃ pretā bhuṃjati tatra hi

Translation

มางสาทะกล่าวว่า: ในเรือนใด เมื่อถึงเวลาฉันอาหารเกิดการวิวาทกันในหมู่สตรี ที่นั่นเหล่าเปรตย่อมได้บริโภค แม้อาหารนั้นจะปรุงด้วยมนตร์และสมุนไพรก็ตาม

Word by Word

• मांसादः: Māṃsāda (a person/name)
• मांसादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg.); वक्तृ-निर्देश (speaker)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

• भोज्यकाले: at mealtime
• भोज्यकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• गृहे: in a house
• गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• युद्धम्: quarrel, fight
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• प्रवर्तते: arises, proceeds
• प्रवर्तते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

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

• मन्त्रौषधीप्रायम्: as if (it were) mantra and medicine
• मन्त्रौषधीप्रायम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifying adjunct/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र + औषधी + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मन्त्र-औषधी-प्राय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.); विशेषण (qualifier)

• प्रेताः: ghosts, departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• भुञ्जति: eat, partake
• भुञ्जति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd pl.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

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

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (bhūpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household scene: women quarrel near the dining area as food is served; shadowy pretas hover, subtly consuming the essence of the meal despite protective mantras and herbs.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual refinement cannot replace inner harmony; conflict at meals disrupts sanctity and turns food into an unmeritorious offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this line; it supports the broader Mahātmya by teaching dharmic conduct connected to merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain peace and auspiciousness at mealtime; otherwise the act of eating loses its sacred character.