Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अस्नाताशी मलं भुंक्ते त्वजपी पूयशोणितम् । अहुताशी कृमीन्भुंक्तेप्यदत्त्वाविड्विभोजनः

Transliteration

asnātāśī malaṃ bhuṃkte tvajapī pūyaśoṇitam | ahutāśī kṛmīnbhuṃktepyadattvāviḍvibhojanaḥ

Translation

One who eats without bathing eats filth; one who eats without japa eats pus and blood; one who eats without offerings eats worms; and one who eats without giving eats excrement as food.

Word by Word

• अस्नाताशी: one who eats without bathing
• अस्नाताशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्नात-आशी (प्रातिपदिक; अस्नात = √स्ना (धातु) क्त; आशी = √अश् (धातु) णिनि/इन्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः—अस्नातः आशी (one who eats without bathing)

• मलम्: filth; impurity
• मलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: eats; consumes
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• अजपी: one who does not recite (japa)
• अजपी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अजप’ (one who does not mutter/recite)

• पूयशोणितम्: pus and blood
• पूयशोणितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय-शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (pus and blood)

• अहुताशी: one who eats without offering (oblations)
• अहुताशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहुत-आशी (प्रातिपदिक; अहुत = √हु (धातु) क्त; आशी = √अश् (धातु) इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः—अहुतः आशी (one who eats without offering)

• कृमीन्: worms
• कृमीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• भुङ्क्ते: eats
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-शब्दः (also/even)

• अदत्त्वा: without giving
• अदत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having not given’

• अविड्विभोजनः: an eater of excrement
• अविड्विभोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-विड्-भोजन (प्रातिपदिक; विड् = ‘excrement’ प्रातिपदिक; भोजन = √भुज् (धातु) ल्युट्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः—विडः भोजनम् (eating excrement); ‘अ-’ नञ् (negation/pejorative) as per reading; पदपाठे अर्थः: ‘(becomes) an eater of excrement’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic allegory: four plates of food transform—into filth, pus-blood, worms, and excrement—when the eater neglects snāna, japa, offerings, and dāna; beside it, the same meal shines as sanctified naivedya when rites are done.

Characters & Entities

• Snāna
• Japa
• Huta (offerings)
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food becomes spiritually impure without daily disciplines—purity, mantra, offering, and charity—so one must sanctify eating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the instruction is part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader dharma exposition connected to Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Before eating: snāna (bathing), japa (mantra repetition), huta/homa (offerings), and dāna (giving).