Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्भोजयित्वा तु मिष्टान्नेन स्वशक्तितः । स यास्यति न सन्देहो मम लोकं सुदुर्लभम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānbhojayitvā tu miṣṭānnena svaśaktitaḥ | sa yāsyati na sandeho mama lokaṃ sudurlabham

Translation

以自身之力，先以甘美清净之食供养婆罗门；此人——毫无疑虑——将得至我那极难抵达的境界。

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), बहुवचनम् (accusative plural)

• भोजयित्वा: having fed
• भोजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (धातु) + ṇic (णिजन्त) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-कृदन्तः (absolutive/gerund); ‘भोजयित्वा’ = having fed (causative)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/अनुक्रम-बोधक (but/indeed)

• मिष्ट-अन्नेन: with sweet food
• मिष्ट-अन्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: miṣṭa + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (मिष्टम् अन्नम्)

• स्व-शक्तितः: according to (one’s) capacity
• स्व-शक्तितः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; ‘स्वशक्तितः’ = स्वशक्त्या अनुसारम्/यथाशक्ति (adverb: according to one’s ability)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (future, 3rd singular)

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम् (negation)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: Pratishedha-vakya (Idiomatic predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वाक्ये ‘न सन्देहः’ इति—नास्ति सन्देहः (there is no doubt)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/गन्तव्य), एकवचनम् (accusative singular)

• सु-दुर्लभम्: very hard to attain
• सु-दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपसर्ग-पूर्वक विशेषणम् (very difficult to obtain)

Speaker

Pulastya (contextual, continuing narration in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitāmaha-pada at Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Following worship, a pilgrim hosts seated Brāhmaṇas on clean mats, serving sweet rice and wholesome dishes; the sacred footprint shrine remains in the background under the full moon.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving Brahmins with faith—within one’s means—is praised as a powerful act of merit that leads to exalted spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s glorification of the Brahmapada (Brahmā’s footprint) sacred spot connected with Mount Arbuda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmin-feeding (brāhmaṇa-bhojana), specifically offering sweet/auspicious food according to one’s capacity.