Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

ऊर्जे यवान्नमश्नीयादेकान्नमथवा पुनः । वृंताकं सूरणं चैव शूकशिंबिं च वर्जयेत्

Transliteration

ūrje yavānnamaśnīyādekānnamathavā punaḥ | vṛṃtākaṃ sūraṇaṃ caiva śūkaśiṃbiṃ ca varjayet

Translation

ऊर्ज (कार्तिक) में जौ का अन्न खाना चाहिए, अथवा केवल एक बार भोजन करना चाहिए। बैंगन, सूरन और शूक-शिंबी (दालें/फलियाँ) का त्याग करना चाहिए।

Word by Word

• ūrje: in Ūrja (Kārtika)
• ūrje: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकः (in Ūrja; i.e., Kārtika month)

• yavānnam: barley food
• yavānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yava (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; यवानां अन्नम् (barley-food)

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; विध्यर्थः (should eat)

• ekānnam: a single meal (one food)
• ekānnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; एकं अन्नम्/एकभोजनम् (single meal/one kind of food)

• athavā: or
• athavā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive: or)

• punaḥ: again/alternatively
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनरर्थे (again/alternatively)

• vṛṃtākam: eggplant
• vṛṃtākam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṃtāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (eggplant/brinjal)

• sūraṇam: sūraṇa (yam)
• sūraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (a tuber/elephant-foot yam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• śūkaśiṃbim: śūka-śiṃbī (a kind of pod/legume)
• śūkaśiṃbim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūka (प्रातिपदिक) + śiṃbī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; शूकयुक्ता शिम्बी/शिम्बीविशेषः (a kind of pod/legume)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• varjayet: should avoid
• varjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; त्यागार्थः (should avoid)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Ūrja/Kārttika vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kārttika dawn at Kāśī: a vrata-observer with a small barley meal; later, a single simple meal served; a list of avoided vegetables shown symbolically; lamps in the background hint at Kārttika season.

Characters & Entities

• Ūrja (Kārttika)
• Yava (barley)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Voluntary restraint in diet during sacred time refines discipline (niyama) and supports devotional focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s vrata guidance; the verse itself is month-centered rather than site-centered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

In Ūrja/Kārttika, eat barley-food or keep a one-meal rule, and avoid eggplant, sūraṇa, and certain legumes/pods.