Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अन्नदः सर्वजीवानां गृहस्थः शूद्र ईरितः । अमंत्राण्यपि कर्माणि कुर्वन्नेव हि मुच्यते

Transliteration

annadaḥ sarvajīvānāṃ gṛhasthaḥ śūdra īritaḥ | amaṃtrāṇyapi karmāṇi kurvanneva hi mucyate

Translation

คฤหัสถ์ผู้ให้ทานอาหารแก่สรรพชีวิตทั้งปวง ถูกกล่าวว่าเป็น ‘ศูทรแท้’ (ในความหมายแห่งการรับใช้); และแม้ทำกรรมที่ไม่ต้องมีมันตระ เขาก็ย่อมหลุดพ้นโดยแท้.

Word by Word

• अन्नदः: giver of food
• अन्नदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्नद (प्रातिपदिक; अन्न + द (√दा/दा॒-दान॑े))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्नस्य दाता)

• सर्वजीवानाम्: of all living beings
• सर्वजीवानाम्: Sampradana/Relation (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वजीव (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + जीव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)

• गृहस्थः: householder
• गृहस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Predicate Noun (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ईरितः: is said/declared
• ईरितः: Predicate (कर्मणि-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईरित (कृदन्त; √ईर् (ईरणे/प्रेरणे) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘कथितः/उक्तः’

• अमन्त्राणि: non-mantric (without mantras)
• अमन्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + मन्त्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कर्माणि इति विशेष्य)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘even/also’ अर्थे

• कर्माणि: ritual acts/deeds
• कर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुर्वत् (कृदन्त; √कृ (करणे) + शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)

• मुच्यते: is liberated/is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (मोक्षणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder distributes food to a line of diverse beings—pilgrims, ascetics, the poor, and animals—outside a home/annakshetra; the act of giving is central, serene liberation motif implied.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Feeding others and serving society is a liberating dharma, even without complex mantra-ritual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches a general dharma praised within māhātmya literature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice annadāna (food-giving) and perform righteous duties, even those not requiring mantras.