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

Qu’a donc la viande à voir avec la dévotion à Śiva ? Qu’a donc l’ivresse à voir avec le culte de Śiva ? Pour ceux qui s’attachent au vin et à la chair, Śaṅkara demeure au loin.

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.