Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्राणात्यये क्रतौ श्राद्धे भैषजे विप्रकाम्यया । अलौल्यमित्थं पललं भक्षयन्नैव दोषभाक्

Transliteration

prāṇātyaye kratau śrāddhe bhaiṣaje viprakāmyayā | alaulyamitthaṃ palalaṃ bhakṣayannaiva doṣabhāk

Translation

Bei Lebensgefahr, im Opfer, beim Śrāddha, als Heilmittel oder um einen Brāhmaṇa zu erfreuen—wenn ohne Gier—trägt, wer so Palala isst, keine Schuld.

Word by Word

• प्राणात्यये: in danger of life; at the point of death
• प्राणात्यये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणात्यय (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण + अत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानाम् अत्ययः)

• क्रतौ: in a sacrifice
• क्रतौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्राद्धे: in a śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भैषजे: in medical treatment
• भैषजे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैषज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रकाम्यया: for the sake of a brāhmaṇa (desire to please/serve a brāhmaṇa)
• विप्रकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रकाम्य (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + काम्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विप्रस्य काम्या/विप्रार्था कामना)

• अलौल्यम्: without greed
• अलौल्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक; अ + लौल्यम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (absence of greed)

• इत्थम्: thus; in this way
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• पललम्: meat/flesh
• पललम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्षयन्: eating
• भक्षयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• दोषभाक्: incurring fault; blameworthy
• दोषभाक्: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोषभाज् (प्रातिपदिक; दोष + भाज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दोषस्य भाज् = भागी)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sick pilgrim in Kāśī receives a physician’s measured prescription; nearby a śrāddha rite proceeds; the central motif is a small portion of palala taken without desire, contrasted with a larger rejected platter symbolizing greed.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not rigid: necessity, ritual duty, healing, and service—when free from greed—remove fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting; the verse frames how residents/pilgrims uphold dharma amid ritual and necessity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible contexts are listed (kratu, śrāddha, medicine, emergency, honoring a vipra) where eating palala is not blameworthy if done without greed.