Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ग्राम्याणि फलमूलानि फालजान्नं च संत्यजेत् । दंतोलूखलको वा स्यादश्मकुट्टोथ वा भवेत्

Transliteration

grāmyāṇi phalamūlāni phālajānnaṃ ca saṃtyajet | daṃtolūkhalako vā syādaśmakuṭṭotha vā bhavet

Translation

Er soll die dörflichen Früchte und Wurzeln aufgeben, ebenso das durch Pflügen gewonnene Korn. Er mag leben wie einer, der mit Mörser und Stößel stampft, oder wie einer, der mit Steinen mahlt.

Word by Word

• ग्राम्याणि: domestic/village-grown
• ग्राम्याणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying फलमूलानि)

• फलमूलानि: fruits and roots
• फलमूलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (फल + मूल); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• फालजान्नम्: plough-produced grain/food (cultivated grain)
• फालजान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फालज (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—फालजम् अन्नम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

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

• संत्यजेत्: should completely give up
• संत्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दंतोलूखलकः: a tooth-mortar (one who uses teeth as mortar)/tooth-grinder
• दंतोलूखलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखल (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—दन्तेन (दन्त-प्रयोगेन) उलूखलः इव/उलूखलसम्बद्धः (तत्पुरुष-प्राय) + क-प्रत्यय (diminutive/agentive nuance)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अश्मकुट्टः: stone-pounder (one who pounds with a stone)
• अश्मकुट्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्ट (कुट्ट्/कुट् धातु + क्त/कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—अश्मना कुट्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अथ: then/else
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/विकल्पार्थ (particle: then/else)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• भवेत्: may become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-ascetic sits on a ghat-side platform with a stone quern, grinding wild grains; nearby a wooden mortar and pestle; baskets of wild roots and fruits; behind, the bustle of Kāśī is muted, emphasizing his withdrawal.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Forest-dweller practices

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reduce dependency on settled society and ownership: the forest-dweller lives by minimal, low-impact means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharma rule within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa corpus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Renounce cultivated foods and adopt austere food-processing methods (pounding/grinding) consistent with vānaprastha.