Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

भुज्यते यत्र भूपाल वेंश्वदेवं विना नरैः । पाकस्याग्रमदत्त्वा च प्रेता भुंजति तत्र च

Transliteration

bhujyate yatra bhūpāla veṃśvadevaṃ vinā naraiḥ | pākasyāgramadattvā ca pretā bhuṃjati tatra ca

Translation

ข้าแต่พระภูบาล ที่ใดผู้คนบริโภคโดยไม่ทำการบูชาไวศวเทวะ และมิได้ถวายส่วนแรกของอาหารที่ปรุงแล้ว ที่นั่นเหล่าเปรตก็ย่อมได้บริโภคเช่นกัน

Word by Word

• भुज्यते: is eaten (people eat)
• भुज्यते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (present passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg.)

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

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (voc. sg.)

• वैश्वदेवम्: the Vaiśvadeva offering/rite
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.); (वैश्वदेव-यज्ञ/हविः)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-निपात (preposition) तृतीया-सह (with instrumental)

• नरैः: by men, by people
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instr. pl.)

• पाकस्य: of the cooked food/cooking
• पाकस्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• अग्रम्: the first portion
• अग्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + √दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) नकार-निषेध सहित; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having not given)

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

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

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

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

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the king (bhūpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family about to eat; a small offering is made to the sacred fire and the first portion is set aside. In the alternate (neglect) vignette, pretas hover near the food, indicating loss of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Eating becomes dharmic when preceded by offerings; neglecting daily oblations turns the meal spiritually fruitless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single location is specified in this verse; it provides general dharma within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Vaiśvadeva and offer the first portion of cooked food before eating.