Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

क्व मांसं क्व शिवे भक्तिः क्व मद्यं क्व शिवार्चनम् । मद्यमांसरतानां च दूरे तिष्ठति शंकरः

Transliteration

kva māṃsaṃ kva śive bhaktiḥ kva madyaṃ kva śivārcanam | madyamāṃsaratānāṃ ca dūre tiṣṭhati śaṃkaraḥ

Translation

What has meat to do with devotion to Śiva? What has liquor to do with the worship of Śiva? For those attached to liquor and meat, Śaṅkara remains far away.

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: “where?”)

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter; Nom/Acc sg)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शिवे: in/with Śiva
• शिवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Loc sg)

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Feminine; Nom sg)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• मद्यम्: liquor, wine
• मद्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter; Nom/Acc sg)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• शिवार्चनम्: worship of Śiva
• शिवार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Neuter; Nom/Acc sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Śiva-arcana = worship of Śiva)

• मद्यमांस-रतानाम्: of those devoted to liquor and meat
• मद्यमांस-रतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine; Gen pl); तत्पुरुष-समास (मद्यमांसयोः रताः = devoted to liquor and meat)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण सप्तमी-एकवचन (adverbial locative: “far away”)

• तिष्ठति: stands, remains
• तिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative; 3rd sg; Parasmaipada)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nom sg)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta/Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśveśvara area)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene near a Kāśī shrine: a teacher points toward Viśveśvara’s liṅga while turning away those carrying wine and meat; devotees with flowers and bilva approach in purity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti requires purity and restraint; attachment to intoxicants and violence-oriented diet obstructs closeness to Śaṅkara.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra’s Śaiva ethos is highlighted, presenting Kāśī as a place where true śivārcana demands disciplined living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear ethical prerequisite for worship: avoid madya (liquor) and māṃsa (meat) when seeking genuine Śiva devotion.