Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

एकं भोजयते योऽत्र ब्राह्मणं शंसितव्रतम् । भोजितोऽहं भवेत्तेन सपत्नीको न संशयः

Transliteration

ekaṃ bhojayate yo'tra brāhmaṇaṃ śaṃsitavratam | bhojito'haṃ bhavettena sapatnīko na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

جو یہاں ستودہ ورتوں میں ثابت قدم ایک برہمن کو، خواہ ایک ہی کو، کھانا کھلائے، اس عمل سے میں بھی اپنی زوجہ سمیت سیر ہو جاتا ہوں؛ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular); संख्याविशेषणम्

• भोजयते: feeds
• भोजयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) (causative: भोजय-)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: causes to eat/feeds)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• शंसितव्रतम्: of praised/commended vows
• शंसितव्रतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंसित (शंस् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative 2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of ब्राह्मणम्)

• भोजितः: fed
• भोजितः: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (1st person pronoun), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual), तृतीया (instrumental 3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• सपत्नीको: together with (my) wife
• सपत्नीको: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पत्नी + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम् (of अहम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative 1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Deity/presiding sacred presence of the tīrtha (speaking about acceptance of offerings through Brāhmaṇa-feeding)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jalaprabhāsa (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Implied) the interlocutor receiving tīrtha-māhātmya instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Prabhāsa offers a respectful meal to a vow-observing Brāhmaṇa; behind them, a subtle divine presence of Śiva with Pārvatī signifies that the offering reaches the divine couple.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Jalaprabhāsa (implied presiding presence)
• Consort (sapatnīka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to dharmic Brāhmaṇas at a tīrtha is equated with direct worship—charity becomes a form of deity-offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Jalaprabhāsa/Prabhāsa Kṣetra context (“atra”—here).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Feeding (bhojana/anna-dāna) of a vow-observing Brāhmaṇa at the sacred place.