Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पलांडुं विड्वराहं च शेलुं लशुन गृंजने । गोपीयूषं तंडुलीयं वर्ज्यं च कवकं सदा

Transliteration

palāṃḍuṃ viḍvarāhaṃ ca śeluṃ laśuna gṛṃjane | gopīyūṣaṃ taṃḍulīyaṃ varjyaṃ ca kavakaṃ sadā

Translation

Qu’on évite toujours l’oignon, le sanglier qui se nourrit d’immondices, le śelu, l’ail et le gṛṃjana ; de même, le gopīyūṣa, le taṇḍulīya et le kavaka sont à éviter en tout temps.

Word by Word

• पलाण्डुम्: onion
• पलाण्डुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विड्वराहम्: boar (fed on filth / ‘viḍ-varāha’)
• विड्वराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विड् (प्रातिपदिक) + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विडः वराहः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• शेलुम्: śelu (a plant/food item)
• शेलुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लशुनम्: garlic
• लशुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• गृञ्जने: gṛñjana (a pungent vegetable; possibly ‘carrot/turnip’ per lexica)
• गृञ्जने: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), द्विवचन (पाठभेदे द्विवचन-रूपम्); समाहार-द्वन्द्वार्थे युगलवाचकं सम्भाव्यते

• गोपीयूषम्: gopī-yūṣa (a kind of soup/gruel)
• गोपीयूषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक) + यूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोपी-सम्बद्धः यूषः)

• तण्डुलीयम्: taṇḍulīya (amaranth/edible green)
• तण्डुलीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुलीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• वर्ज्यम्: to be avoided
• वर्ज्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्ज्य (कृदन्त; वर्ज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे क्तव्य-प्रत्ययः = ‘to be avoided’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कवकम्: kavaka (mushroom/fungus)
• कवकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (काल-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/adhikārin seeking rules

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim household in Kāśī sets aside certain vegetables and meats, choosing a simple sāttvika meal before visiting the ghāṭas; a small shrine lamp burns nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in food is treated as part of dharma; certain pungent or impure-associated items are listed for avoidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting; the verse supports the broader Kāśī-māhātmya by prescribing purity-compatible conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dietary prohibition list (varjya) is given—items to be abstained from as a standing rule.