Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ तु भक्ष्यौ पाठीनरोहितौ । मांसाशिभिस्त्वमी भक्ष्याः शश शल्लक कच्छपाः

Transliteration

havyakavyaniyuktau tu bhakṣyau pāṭhīnarohitau | māṃsāśibhistvamī bhakṣyāḥ śaśa śallaka kacchapāḥ

Translation

Doch die Fische pāṭhīna und rohita sind essbar, wenn sie ordnungsgemäß für Opfergaben an die Götter und die Ahnen bestimmt sind. Für Fleischesser gelten als essbar: Hase, Stachelschwein und Schildkröte.

Word by Word

• हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ: appointed for offerings to gods and ancestors
• हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हव्यकव्यनियुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + कव्य + नियुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुषः (हव्ये कव्ये च नियुक्तौ)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• भक्ष्यौ: edible/permitted to be eaten
• भक्ष्यौ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• पाठीनरोहितौ: the fish pāṭhīna and rohita
• पाठीनरोहितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठीनरोहित (प्रातिपदिक; पाठीन + रोहित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पाठीनश्च रोहितश्च)

• मांसाशिभिः: by meat-eaters
• मांसाशिभिः: Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाशी (प्रातिपदिक; मांस + आशी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण/सहकारक-प्रयोग (by meat-eaters)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भक्ष्याः: edible/permitted
• भक्ष्याः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• शश: hare/rabbit
• शश: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सूच्य-गणना; list-item)

• शल्लक: porcupine (śallaka)
• शल्लक: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सूच्य-गणना)

• कच्छपाः: tortoises
• कच्छपाः: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting on a Kāśī ghat: a brāhmaṇa priest near a small fire and pitṛ offerings; two specific fish are shown symbolically as ritual items, while the overall mood remains restrained and formal.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (havya)
• Pitṛ (kavya)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rules are contextual: what is generally restricted may be permitted when sanctified by deva–pitṛ ritual purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the implied sacred setting; the verse aligns dietary conduct with śrāddha and offering traditions practiced in holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭhīna and rohita are permitted specifically when designated for havya-kavya (deva/pitṛ) rites.