Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

नैवेद्यानि मनोज्ञानि कृष्णाय विनिवेदयेत् । कल्पांतं तत्पितॄणां हि तृप्तिर्भवति शाश्वती

Transliteration

naivedyāni manojñāni kṛṣṇāya vinivedayet | kalpāṃtaṃ tatpitṝṇāṃ hi tṛptirbhavati śāśvatī

Translation

当以悦意之食作那伊维迪亚（naivedya）供奉黑天；由此功德，直至劫尽，其祖灵（pitṛ）恒得满足安乐。

Word by Word

• नैवेद्यानि: food offerings (naivedya)
• नैवेद्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैवेद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), बहुवचन

• मनोज्ञानि: pleasing/delightful
• मनोज्ञानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् नैवेद्यानि-शब्दस्य

• कृष्णाय: to Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन

• विनिवेदयेत्: should offer/present
• विनिवेदयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि-√विद्/√वेद् (धातु; causative denom. from निवेदयति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कल्पान्तम्: until the end of a kalpa
• कल्पान्तम्: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कल्पान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative), कालपर्यन्त-अर्थे ‘until the end of a kalpa’

• तत्पितॄणाम्: of their ancestors
• तत्पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तेषां पितरः (their ancestors)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चय/हेतु-अर्थे

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction/contentment
• तृप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शाश्वती: everlasting
• शाश्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचन; विशेषणम् तृप्तिः-शब्दस्य

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied royal listener (continuation of address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotee presents fragrant, attractive dishes to Kṛṣṇa; behind, subtle ancestral figures receive light and contentment, indicating pitṛ-tṛpti lasting to kalpānta.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Pitṛs
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offering to God sanctifies the giver and uplifts one’s lineage, extending benefit even to the ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where offerings to Kṛṣṇa are said to yield enduring ancestral merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vinivedana of manojña-naivedya—offering pleasing food to Kṛṣṇa as a devotional rite.