Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दीनांधकृपणानां च पथिश्रममुपेयुषाम् । तीर्थयात्रापराणां च यो यच्छति सदाऽशनम् । काले वा यदि वाऽकाले नरकं न स पश्यति

Transliteration

dīnāṃdhakṛpaṇānāṃ ca pathiśramamupeyuṣām | tīrthayātrāparāṇāṃ ca yo yacchati sadā'śanam | kāle vā yadi vā'kāle narakaṃ na sa paśyati

Translation

ผู้ใดถวายทานเป็นอาหารอยู่เสมอแก่คนยากไร้ คนตาบอด ผู้ขัดสน แก่ผู้เดินทางอ่อนล้าบนหนทาง และแก่ผู้จาริกแสวงบุญผู้มุ่งมั่นในยาตราแห่งทีรถะ ไม่ว่าให้ตามกาลหรือแม้ยามไม่สมควร ผู้นั้นย่อมไม่ประสบเห็นนรก

Word by Word

• दीनान्धकृपणानाम्: of the poor, the blind, and the destitute
• दीनान्धकृपणानाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीन-अन्ध-कृपण (प्रातिपदिक; दीन + अन्ध + कृपण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (समूहवाचक), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (दीनाश्च अन्धाश्च कृपणाश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पथि: on the road
• पथि: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• श्रमम्: fatigue
• श्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपेयुषाम् इत्यस्य कर्म

• उपेयुषाम्: of those who have reached/undergone
• उपेयुषाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (परिपूर्णभूतार्थ) कृदन्त; ‘उपेयुष्’ (past active participle, irregular from √इ), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दीनान्धकृपणानाम्)

• तीर्थयात्रापराणाम्: of those devoted to pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्रापराणाम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा-पर (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + यात्रा + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तीर्थयात्रायां पराः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यच्छति: gives
• यच्छति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘यच्छति’ (gives)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kālādhi-kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अशनम्: food
• अशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• काले: at the proper time
• काले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अकाले: at an improper time
• अकाले: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-काल (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नञ्)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation to verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhīṣma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim road near a tīrtha: weary travelers with staffs and waterpots are welcomed; a householder distributes steaming food to the poor, blind, and destitute; the act is shown as a protective merit against hell.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage)
• Dāna (food-giving)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anna-dāna and compassionate service—especially to pilgrims and the vulnerable—are exalted as direct causes of spiritual uplift and protection from hell.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is specified; the verse glorifies tīrtha-yātrā culture itself and service to pilgrims.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Regular giving of food (anna-dāna) to the needy, travelers, and tīrtha-pilgrims, regardless of time.