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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

परप्राणैस्तु ये प्राणान्स्वान्पुष्णं ति हि दुर्धियः । आकल्पं नरकान्भुक्त्वा ते भुज्यंतेत्र तैः पुनः

paraprāṇaistu ye prāṇānsvānpuṣṇaṃ ti hi durdhiyaḥ | ākalpaṃ narakānbhuktvā te bhujyaṃtetra taiḥ punaḥ

যিসকল দুষ্টবুদ্ধি লোকে আনৰ প্ৰাণ লৈ নিজৰ জীৱন পোষে, তেওঁলোকে এক কল্পজুৰি নৰক ভুগি, পাছত ইয়াত সেই একে সত্ত্বাই পুনৰ তেওঁলোকক ভক্ষণ কৰে।

परप्राणैःby others’ life-breaths
परप्राणैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (by others’ lives)
तुindeed/but
तु:
Discourse particle
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle)
येthose who
ये:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम
प्राणान्life-breaths
प्राणान्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootप्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
स्वान्their own
स्वान्:
Visheshana (Qualifier of प्राणान्)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; स्वकीयवाचक विशेषण
पुष्णन्तिnourish/sustain
पुष्णन्ति:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootपुष् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्
हिindeed
हि:
Discourse particle
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), निश्चये/हेतौ
दुर्धियःevil-minded ones
दुर्धियः:
Apposition to ये (Karta)
TypeNoun
Rootदुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (of bad intellect)
आकल्पम्for a whole kalpa
आकल्पम्:
Kala-adhikarana (Time extent)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootआ (उपसर्ग) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभावार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘आ’ उपसर्गपूर्वकं कालावधि-अव्ययम् (up to the end of a kalpa)
नरकान्hells
नरकान्:
Karma (Object of भुक्त्वा)
TypeNoun
Rootनरक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन
भुक्त्वाhaving undergone
भुक्त्वा:
Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formक्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having experienced/undergone)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
भुज्यन्तेare eaten/are consumed
भुज्यन्ते:
Kriya (Action)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formदेशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)
तैःby them
तैः:
Karana/Karta (Agent in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
पुनःagain
पुनः:
Discourse/Adverbial
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formकाल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Scene: A cosmic justice vision: violent humans feeding on others’ lives are shown first in naraka, then reborn into a world where they are devoured—illustrating the reversal of predator and prey.

N
naraka (hell)

FAQs

Karma is reciprocal: sustaining oneself through others’ death leads to long suffering and eventual reversal—being consumed in return.

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting frames the teaching, implying Kāśī’s dharma-centered ethos; no single tirtha is named in the verse.

An implied discipline: abstain from harming beings for food; no formal rite is described.