Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

यवान्नैर्वा फलाहारैः शाकाहारैः पयोव्रतैः । प्राणयात्रां प्रकुर्वीत यावत्प्राणः स्वयं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

yavānnairvā phalāhāraiḥ śākāhāraiḥ payovrataiḥ | prāṇayātrāṃ prakurvīta yāvatprāṇaḥ svayaṃ vrajet

Translation

مع إدامة الحياة بطعام الشعير، أو بغذاء الفاكهة، أو الخضار، أو بنذور اللبن، ينبغي متابعة مسير نَفَس الحياة حتى يغادر البرانا (prāṇa) من تلقاء نفسه.

Word by Word

• यवान्नैः: with barley-food
• यवान्नैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यवानाम् अन्नम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• फलाहारैः: with fruit-diet
• फलाहारैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (फलानाम् आहारः)

• शाकाहारैः: with vegetable-diet
• शाकाहारैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाकानाम् आहारः)

• पयोव्रतैः: with milk-vows (milk-only observances)
• पयोव्रतैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्/पयः (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पयसो व्रतम्)

• प्राणयात्राम्: maintenance of life
• प्राणयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणस्य यात्रा)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should carry on; should maintain
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यावत्: until; as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• प्राणः: life-breath; life
• प्राणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by itself; on its own
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (oneself/by itself)

• व्रजेत्: should depart; should go away
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere figure on the Gaṅgā’s edge at dawn, holding a small bowl of milk or barley gruel, prayer beads in hand, eyes toward a distant temple spire; the body frail yet composed, suggesting the ‘prāṇa-yātrā’ until natural departure.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It commends disciplined, simple sustenance as a form of tapas, while affirming acceptance of life’s natural end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting is implicit; the verse itself is not a site-glorification passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible austerity-diets: barley food, fruits, vegetables, and milk-based vrata.