Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ततस्तु नर्तकेभ्यश्च दीनांधेभ्यो विशेषतः । ददौ भोज्यं समि ष्टान्नं सवस्त्रं च द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

tatastu nartakebhyaśca dīnāṃdhebhyo viśeṣataḥ | dadau bhojyaṃ sami ṣṭānnaṃ savastraṃ ca dvijottamāḥ

Translation

پھر اس نے رقاصوں کو، اور خاص طور پر غریبوں اور نابیناؤں کو، افضلِ دِوِج نے کھانا—چُنیدہ پکا ہوا نَیویدیہ—اور کپڑے بھی دان کیے۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): 'thereafter/then'

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): emphasis/contrast 'but/indeed'

• nartakebhyaḥ: to the dancers/actors
• nartakebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nartaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• dīnāndhebhyaḥ: to the poor and the blind
• dīnāndhebhyaḥ: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna + andha (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (dīna-andha = 'the poor and the blind'); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), बहुवचन

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): 'especially/particularly'

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धाातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhojyam: food (edibles)
• bhojyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhuj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (that which is to be eaten)

• samiṣṭānnam: well-prepared cooked food
• samiṣṭānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samiṣṭa + anna (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (samiṣṭa-anna = 'well-prepared food'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• savastram: (food) along with clothing
• savastram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa + vastra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (sa-vastra = 'with clothing'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• dvijottamāḥ: the best Brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijottamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (dvija-uttama = 'best of twice-born'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Sūta’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified brāhmaṇa patron distributes plates of iṣṭānna (choice cooked offerings) and folded garments to dancers, the poor, and blind recipients in a kṣetra courtyard; attendants arrange vessels; recipients receive with joined palms.

Characters & Entities

• Dīna (poor)
• Andha (blind)
• Nartaka (performers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate giving to the vulnerable—especially food and clothing—is a central Purāṇic expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anna-dāna (distribution of cooked food) and vastra-dāna (clothing), directed particularly to those in need.