Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अज्ञात्वा यः शिवं भुक्ते कथ्यते सोऽत्र ब्रह्महा । मार्ष्टि च ब्रह्महान्नादे तस्मात्तस्य न भक्षयेत्

Transliteration

ajñātvā yaḥ śivaṃ bhukte kathyate so'tra brahmahā | mārṣṭi ca brahmahānnāde tasmāttasya na bhakṣayet

Translation

ಶಿವನನ್ನು ಅರಿಯದೆ ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ಭುಂಜಿಸುವವನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಹಾ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಹನ ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ತಿನ್ನುವವನು ಕೂಡ ಮಲಿನನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವನ ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ಭಕ್ಷಿಸಬಾರದು.

Word by Word

• अज्ञात्वा: not knowing
• अज्ञात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + अ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), उपसर्गपूर्वक; अर्थः—"अज्ञात्वा" = not knowing

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भुक्ते: eats/consumes
• भुक्ते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कथ्यते: is said/called
• कथ्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• ब्रह्महा: slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्महा: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः हन्ता), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मार्ष्टि: wipes off/cleanses
• मार्ष्टि: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्रह्महा: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अन्नादे: in eating food/at the act of eating
• अन्नादे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + आद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (अन्नस्य आदः/आदनम्—food-eating), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग—"therefore/from that"

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• भक्षयेत्: should eat/consume
• भक्षयेत्: Kriyā (Injunctive/Rule)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests a Purāṇic narrator in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a Śaiva teacher warns a pilgrim/householder about eating with Śiva-awareness; symbolic vision of Śiva subtly present within the offered food, while a shadowy ‘brahmahatyā’ stain clings to impure fare.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing Śiva in all and maintaining purity in association—especially through food—is framed as a serious dharmic duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not eat food that is considered morally contaminating (here, food linked with grave sin).