Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मखार्थं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टाः पशु द्रुम मृगौषधीः । निघ्नन्नहिंसको विप्रस्तासामपि शुभा गतिः

Transliteration

makhārthaṃ brahmaṇā sṛṣṭāḥ paśu druma mṛgauṣadhīḥ | nighnannahiṃsako viprastāsāmapi śubhā gatiḥ

Translation

Um des Makha (Opfers) willen erschuf Brahmā Tiere, Bäume, Hirsche und Heilkräuter. Ein Brāhmaṇa, der zu diesem Opferzweck tötet, gilt als gewaltlos; und auch für jene Wesen gibt es ein glückverheißendes Geschick.

Word by Word

• makha-artham: for the sake of sacrifice
• makha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मखस्य अर्थः = यज्ञार्थम् (for sacrifice)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (agent/instrument)

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created
• sṛṣṭāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘सृष्टाः’ = created

• paśūn: animals
• paśūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• drumān: trees
• drumān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• mṛga-auṣadhīḥ: beasts and herbs
• mṛga-auṣadhīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + auṣadhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (mṛgāś ca auṣadhyaś ca)

• nighnan: killing
• nighnan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘निघ्नन्’ = killing

• ahiṃsakaḥ: non-violent
• ahiṃsakaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-hiṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (ahiṃsaka = non-violent)

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tāsām: of them
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• gatiḥ: destination/state
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar scene: a brāhmaṇa officiant performs a makha with strict ritual decorum; surrounding are symbolic representations of animals, trees, deer, and herbs as Brahmā’s created offerings; a luminous path indicates ‘śubhā gati’ for the offered beings.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma distinguishes ordinary harm from ritually bounded acts framed by yajña; intention and scriptural context are central.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī setting), but the verse focuses on yajña-ethics rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references makha/yajña as the context in which certain acts are considered sanctioned within Vedic-sacrificial parameters.