Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अंतरात्मा ह्ययं साक्षान्निश्चितो ह्याशुशुक्षणिः । मांसग्रासान्पचेत्कुक्षौ स्त्रीणां नो मांसपेशिकाम्

Transliteration

aṃtarātmā hyayaṃ sākṣānniścito hyāśuśukṣaṇiḥ | māṃsagrāsānpacetkukṣau strīṇāṃ no māṃsapeśikām

Translation

Ce Feu (Agni) est assurément le Soi intérieur manifesté et le Témoin direct, prompt à consumer. Dans le ventre il cuit des bouchées de chair, mais non la « masse de chair » des femmes.

Word by Word

• अन्तरात्मा: the inner self
• अन्तरात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (inner self)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb: directly, manifestly)

• निश्चितः: ascertained, determined
• निश्चितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + चि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ascertained)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• आशुशुक्षणिः: the swiftly blazing one (fire)
• आशुशुक्षणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशु + शुक्षणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अग्नेः विशेषणम् (epithet: ‘quickly blazing’)

• मांसग्रासान्: mouthfuls of meat
• मांसग्रासान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस + ग्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• पचेत्: should cook/digest
• पचेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (should cook/digest)

• कुक्षौ: in the belly
• कुक्षौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• नः: not
• नः: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नः (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (Vedic/epic variant of ‘न’; negation)

• मांसपेशिकाम्: a lump/morsel of flesh
• मांसपेशिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस + पेशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Antarāgni / Agni as sākṣin (conceptual tīrtha within Kāśī teaching)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-layer composition: outer—Agni blazing as sacred fire; inner—within a human silhouette, a subtle flame at the navel/heart representing antarāgni, with an all-seeing eye motif for sākṣin; a protective gesture toward women, indicating prohibition of harm.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Agni is invoked as the inner witness and moral force, emphasizing restraint and protection against grave harm—especially toward women and unborn life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching, though it functions primarily as ethical instruction rather than site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse uses the metaphor of ‘cooking/digesting’ to set an ethical prohibition and uphold dharma.