Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शिलोंछ वृत्तया ये वै दंतोलूखलिकाश्च ये । अश्मकुट्टाश्च मुनयः शीर्णपर्णाशिनश्च ये

Transliteration

śiloṃcha vṛttayā ye vai daṃtolūkhalikāśca ye | aśmakuṭṭāśca munayaḥ śīrṇaparṇāśinaśca ye

Translation

അവിടെ ശിലോഞ്ചവൃത്തിയോടെ ജീവിക്കുന്നവർ, പല്ലുകളെ ഉഖലിയെപ്പോലെ ഉപയോഗിച്ച് അരയ്ക്കുന്നവർ, കല്ലുകൊണ്ട് കുത്തുന്ന മുനിമാർ, ഉണങ്ങിയ ഇലകൾ ആഹരിക്കുന്നവർ—ഇത്തരം തപസ്വികൾ കാണപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• शिल-उञ्छ-वृत्तया: by the livelihood of gleaning (from stones/ground)
• शिल-उञ्छ-वृत्तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उञ्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: शिलउञ्छवृत्ति (तत्पुरुष; ‘शिल-उञ्छ’ = stone-picked gleaning; तया वृत्त्या), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; manner/means

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun ‘who’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• दन्त-उलूखलिकाः: those who use teeth as a mortar (austerity-practitioners)
• दन्त-उलूखलिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: दन्तैः उलूखलिकावत्/दन्तोलूखलिका), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; a class of ascetics

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun (repeated)

• अश्म-कुट्टाः: stone-pounders (ascetics)
• अश्म-कुट्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from कुट्ट्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अश्मना कुट्टाः/अश्मकुट्टाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; a class of ascetics

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• शीर्ण-पर्ण-आशिनः: eaters of withered leaves
• शीर्ण-पर्ण-आशिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त, शॄ/शीर्ण, क्त) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपद: ‘शीर्णानि पर्णानि आश्नन्ति’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; those who eat fallen leaves

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun (repeated)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapoloka (as locus of perfected tapasvins)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Groups of sages in a forested, luminous realm: some gleaning fallen grains, some chewing hard grains as if grinding, some pounding with stones, others eating dry leaves—each shown with calm faces and controlled posture.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Tapoloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life of radical simplicity and restraint—even in food—supports the power of tapas and spiritual elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Tapoloka-mahātmya within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; it is not tied to a single bathing-place but to the ideal of ascetic attainment associated with Kāśī’s spiritual vision.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary and livelihood restraints: gleaning, minimal processing of food, and subsisting on austere fare like withered leaves.