Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पशुमांसकृताहारा वारुणीपूरितोदराम् । जीवहिंसारतां नित्यं कथमेनां निनीषथ

Transliteration

paśumāṃsakṛtāhārā vāruṇīpūritodarām | jīvahiṃsāratāṃ nityaṃ kathamenāṃ ninīṣatha

Translation

Her food is animal flesh; her belly is filled with liquor; ever devoted to harming living beings—how will you take her away (to Śiva’s realm)?

Word by Word

• पशुमांसकृताहारा: one whose diet is animal flesh
• पशुमांसकृताहारा: Visheshana (विशेषण) of (implicit) सा/एषा
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (पशुमांसकृतः आहारः यस्याः/या) = “whose food is made of animal flesh”

• वारुणीपूरितोदराम्: whose belly is filled with liquor (vāruṇī)
• वारुणीपूरितोदराम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of एनाम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुणी (प्रातिपदिक) + पूरित (पूर् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय) + उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वारुण्या पूरितम् उदरम् यस्याः)

• जीवहिंसारताम्: devoted to harming living beings
• जीवहिंसारताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण) of एनाम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (रम् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (जीवानां हिंसायां रता)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative: “always”)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण

• एनाम्: her
• एनाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निनीषथ: you (pl.) intend to take/lead
• निनीषथ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; परस्मैपद; मध्यम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक-धात्वर्थ (intend to lead)

Speaker

Yamadūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker points to signs of vice—meat, liquor, and violence—while the woman stands burdened by her past; divine attendants remain poised, suggesting imminent redemption.

Characters & Entities

• Vāruṇī (liquor)
• Hiṃsā (violence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights acts considered gravely demeritorious in Purāṇic dharma, against which divine mercy is later contrasted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is ethical/behavioral, not geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists behaviors (diet, intoxication, violence) as moral charges.