Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कोटिद्वयं ब्रह्मकल्पं कुंभीपाकी न संशयः । एककालं चरेद्भैक्षं न कुर्यात्तत्र विस्तरम्

Transliteration

koṭidvayaṃ brahmakalpaṃ kuṃbhīpākī na saṃśayaḥ | ekakālaṃ caredbhaikṣaṃ na kuryāttatra vistaram

Translation

দুই কোটি ব্রহ্মকল্পকাল সে কুম্ভীপাক নরকে যন্ত্রণা ভোগ করে—এতে সন্দেহ নেই। তাই দিনে একবারই ভিক্ষা গ্রহণ করবে, এবং তাতে বাড়াবাড়ি/আয়োজন করবে না।

Word by Word

• कोटि-द्वयम्: two crores
• कोटि-द्वयम्: Kāla-parimāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (संख्यापूर्वपद)

• ब्रह्म-कल्पम्: a Brahmā-age (kalpa)
• ब्रह्म-कल्पम्: Kāla-parimāṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः कल्पः)

• कुंभीपाकी: one destined for Kumbhīpāka (hell)
• कुंभीपाकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंभीपाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरकविशेषवाचक (कुंभीपाक-नरके वासी)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Predicate (Pradhāna/प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वाक्ये ‘न संशयः’ इति नास्त्यर्थे

• एक-कालम्: for one time (once a day)
• एक-कालम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषप्रायः (एकः कालः) ; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन

• चरेत्: should practice/should go about
• चरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• भैक्षम्: alms (begging)
• भैक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भिक्षाटन-सम्बद्धं (alms-round)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• कुर्यात्: should do/make
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that matter
• तत्र: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• विस्तरम्: elaboration/extension
• विस्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘विस्तरं कुर्यात्’ इत्यत्र कर्म

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bhikṣu receives a small portion of food once a day, standing quietly at a threshold after the household meal; in the background, a faint vision of Kumbhīpāka—boiling cauldron imagery—appears as a moral warning, contrasted with the calm Gaṅgā horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kumbhīpāka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Indulgence in alms and comforts undermines renunciation and is warned against with severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Kāśī is presented as a place where strict bhikṣu discipline is upheld.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Take bhikṣā once daily and avoid ‘expanding’ it into elaborate or comfort-seeking arrangements.