Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

वरं विषमपिप्राश्यं शिवस्वं नैव भक्षयेत् । विषमेकाकिनं हंति थिवस्वं पुत्रपौवकम्

Transliteration

varaṃ viṣamapiprāśyaṃ śivasvaṃ naiva bhakṣayet | viṣamekākinaṃ haṃti thivasvaṃ putrapauvakam

Translation

Mieux vaut avaler du poison que de manger ce qui appartient à Śiva. Le poison ne détruit que celui qui le boit ; mais s’emparer du bien de Śiva détruit l’homme avec ses fils et ses petits-fils.

Word by Word

• varam: better (it is)
• varam: Prayojaka (Preference marker/वाक्योपपादक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; ‘वरम्’ = ‘better (that...)’ (indeclinable-like usage)

• viṣam: poison
• viṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: even/also)

• prāśyam: to be eaten / to eat
• prāśyam: Kriya (Infinitival predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāś (धातु) + ya (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-अर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/‘to be eaten’ or ‘(one may) eat’ in optative sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन—वाक्ये ‘(varam) ... prāśyam’ = ‘better to eat’

• śiva-svam: what belongs to Śiva (Śiva’s offerings/property)
• śiva-svam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘शिवस्य स्वम्’ = ‘Śiva’s property/offerings’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• bhakṣayet: should eat
• bhakṣayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• viṣam: poison
• viṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ekākinam: a solitary person
• ekākinam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ekākin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• hanti: kills
• hanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी

• śiva-svam: Śiva’s property/offerings
• śiva-svam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘शिवस्य स्वम्’

• putra-pautrakam: (one’s) sons and grandsons
• putra-pautrakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + pautraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (इतरेतर): ‘पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च’ (collective)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Śiva-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: on one side a person tempted by temple offerings; on the other, a skull-cup of poison—captioned by the verse’s stark comparison; behind, a Śiva-liṅga radiates austere authority.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• śiva-sva (property of Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misappropriating Śiva’s offerings or temple property is portrayed as a grave offense with far-reaching karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kāśī-kṣetra’s māhātmya context, emphasizing dharma around Śiva worship there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strict prohibition: do not eat/appropriate śiva-sva (including nirmālya and other sacred belongings).