Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाय हविष्यान्नं दातव्यं वैष्णवैर्नरैः । एवं पञ्चदिनं यावत्कर्तव्यं व्रतमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāya haviṣyānnaṃ dātavyaṃ vaiṣṇavairnaraiḥ | evaṃ pañcadinaṃ yāvatkartavyaṃ vratamuttamam

Translation

وَیشنو مردوں کو چاہیے کہ برہمن کو ہویشیہ (ہویشّ) بھوجن دان کریں۔ اسی طرح پانچ دن تک یہ اعلیٰ ورت ادا کیا جائے۔

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇāya: to a brāhmaṇa
• brāhmaṇāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• haviṣyānnam: haviṣya-food (ritual simple food)
• haviṣyānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haviṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (haviṣyaṃ annaṃ)

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु) → dātavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय—'to be given'

• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: by Vaiṣṇavas
• vaiṣṇavaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/कर्ता-समूह), बहुवचन

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; 'vaiṣṇavaiḥ naraiḥ' = by Vaiṣṇava men

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• pañca-dinam: for five days
• pañca-dinam: Kāla-adhikarana (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (काल-परिमाण), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—'पञ्च दिनानि' (five days)

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikarana (Limit/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधि) — as long as/until

• kartavyam: should be performed
• kartavyam: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृत्य-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय—'to be done'

• vratam: vow/observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'vratam' इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vaiṣṇava pilgrim-householder offers a simple haviṣya meal to a seated brāhmaṇa near a tīrtha precinct; vessels of plain rice/khicṛī, water-pot, tulasī, and a small lamp indicate vow-observance over five days.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Haviṣyānna
• Vaiṣṇava
• Bhīṣma-pañcaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through service and giving; feeding the worthy during a vow elevates the observance into lived dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single place is specified in this verse; it describes a vrata practice within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer haviṣya food to a brāhmaṇa and continue the vow in this way for five days.