Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

अनारोग्यमनायुष्यमस्वर्ग्यंचातिभोजनम् । अपुण्यं लोकविद्विष्टं तस्मात्तत्परिवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

anārogyamanāyuṣyamasvargyaṃcātibhojanam | apuṇyaṃ lokavidviṣṭaṃ tasmāttatparivarjayet

Translation

Übermäßiges Essen bringt Krankheit, verkürzt das Leben und versperrt das himmlische Wohlergehen; es ist ohne Verdienst und von der Welt verurteilt. Darum soll man es meiden.

Word by Word

• अनारोग्यम्: unhealthy
• अनारोग्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + आरोग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थः; ‘unhealthy’

• अनायुष्यम्: not conducive to long life
• अनायुष्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘shortening life / not conducive to longevity’

• अस्वर्ग्यम्: not heavenly-meritorious
• अस्वर्ग्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + स्वर्ग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not leading to heaven’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अति-भोजनम्: excessive eating
• अति-भोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘अत्यधिकं भोजनम्’ (excessive eating)

• अपुण्यम्: non-meritorious
• अपुण्यम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘sinful / non-meritorious’

• लोक-विद्विष्टम्: hated by the world/people
• लोक-विद्विष्टम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्विष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from द्विष् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘लोकेन विद्विष्टम्’ (hated by people)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; मूलतः पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative sg) ‘therefore/from that’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘that (practice)’

• परिवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• परिवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should avoid’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a Kāśī ghāṭ refuses excessive servings, choosing a modest portion; in contrast, a shadowed figure burdened by overeating appears as a cautionary vignette.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moderation is dharma: bodily discipline supports longevity, merit (puṇya), and auspicious spiritual outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teachings associated with life in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prohibition is given: avoid ati-bhojana (overeating).