Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

निजाहारपरीमाणं प्राप्य सर्वोपि देहभृत् । सदृशीमेव संतृप्तिं प्राप्नुयान्नाधिकेतराम्

Transliteration

nijāhāraparīmāṇaṃ prāpya sarvopi dehabhṛt | sadṛśīmeva saṃtṛptiṃ prāpnuyānnādhiketarām

Translation

Jedes verkörperte Wesen erlangt, wenn es nur sein eigenes rechtes Maß an Nahrung erhält, eine Sättigung, die diesem Maß entspricht—nicht mehr und nicht anders als angemessen.

Word by Word

• निजाहारपरीमाणम्: the measure of one’s own food
• निजाहारपरीमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक) + परिमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निजस्य आहारस्य परिमाणम्)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-; क्त्वान्त (प्राप्य)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे क्त्वा (gerund); ‘having obtained/after reaching’

• सर्वः: every
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘every (one)’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘also/even’

• देहभृत्: embodied being
• देहभृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + √भृ (धातु) कृत्-प्रत्ययः क्विप् (भृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देहं बिभर्ति इति)

• सदृशीम्: similar
• सदृशीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संतृप्तिम्)

• एव: only
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात; ‘only/indeed’

• संतृप्तिम्: satiation
• संतृप्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्नुयात्: should attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात; ‘not’

• अधिकेतराम्: greater (than that)
• अधिकेतराम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक) + इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः; ‘more than that/greater’ (संतृप्तिम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī receives a modest portion of food (anna) near a ghat; the face shows calm satisfaction while abundance remains untouched, emphasizing measure over excess.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moderation brings true contentment; satisfaction is naturally proportionate when one takes only what is appropriate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context (Vārāṇasī/Kāśī), though this verse itself is a general dharma instruction rather than a single-tīrtha eulogy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse advises a niyama (discipline) of measured eating.