Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तृण्वंति तृणगुल्मादीन्श्वापदास्त्वापदास्पदम् । लोकद्वये दुःखहंहि धिक्तन्मांसस्य भक्षणम्

Transliteration

tṛṇvaṃti tṛṇagulmādīnśvāpadāstvāpadāspadam | lokadvaye duḥkhahaṃhi dhiktanmāṃsasya bhakṣaṇam

Translation

Les bêtes sauvages se nourrissent d’herbe, d’arbustes et autres ; pourtant la viande devient le siège du malheur. Elle apporte la souffrance dans les deux mondes ; honte à qui mange cette chair.

Word by Word

• तृण्वन्ति: they eat/chew
• तृण्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृण् (धातु, तृण्/तृण्- ‘to eat/chew’ as used here)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• तृणगुल्मादीन्: grass, shrubs, etc.
• तृणगुल्मादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + गुल्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; ‘-आदि’ अन्त तद्धितार्थ-समास (etc.)

• श्वापदाः: wild beasts/predators
• श्वापदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• आपदास्पदम्: a place/abode of calamity
• आपदास्पदम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आपदां स्पदम् = seat/place of calamity)

• लोकद्वये: in both worlds
• लोकद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (two worlds)

• दुःखहम्: sorrow-bringing
• दुःखहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + ह (प्रातिपदिक, ‘carrying/bringing’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘bringing sorrow’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये ‘for/indeed’

• धिक्: shame on!/fie!
• धिक्: Discourse (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (interjection), निन्दार्थक (censure)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya/Anaphora
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मांसस्य: of meat
• मांसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• भक्षणम्: eating/consumption
• भक्षणम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → भक्षण (कृदन्त-भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तिन्/अन-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक-नाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Kāśī: a sage addresses a listener, contrasting harmless grazing creatures with the calamity of flesh-eating; the ghāṭs and temples of Vārāṇasī form the backdrop, with a moral spotlight on compassion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meat-eating rooted in harm leads to misfortune and suffering in this world and the next; ahiṃsā is praised as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī-māhātmya, presenting Kāśī as a place that elevates dharma and discourages violence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied restraint (niyama): abstaining from meat as a dharmic discipline; no specific rite is detailed.