Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्मादन्नप्रदानेन सर्वे हृष्यंति जन्तवः । देवाश्च स्पृहयंत्येनमन्नदानप्रदायिनम्

Transliteration

tasmādannapradānena sarve hṛṣyaṃti jantavaḥ | devāśca spṛhayaṃtyenamannadānapradāyinam

Translation

ฉะนั้น ด้วยการถวายทานอาหาร สรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวงย่อมยินดี; แม้เหล่าเทพก็ยังปรารถนาผู้ให้ทานอันประเสริฐ ผู้มอบทานเป็นอาหาร

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• अन्नप्रदानेन: by giving food
• अन्नप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (annasya pradānena)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• हृष्यन्ति: rejoice
• हृष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• जन्तवः: creatures
• जन्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• स्पृहयन्ति: desire/long for
• स्पृहयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अन्नदानप्रदायिनम्: the giver of food-gifts
• अन्नदानप्रदायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (annadānasya pradāyinam)

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator addressing Devarṣi Nārada (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A donor offers steaming food to travelers, ascetics, and the poor; above, devas look on with longing and approval, suggesting divine delight in annadāna.

Characters & Entities

• Devāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Feeding others is a universally uplifting act—bringing joy to beings and earning divine approval.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a māhātmya-style praise of annadāna itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice annapradāna/annadāna as a regular charitable vow.