Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

आत्मार्थं पायसमसौ पर्यपाक्षीदनेकधा । लाक्षालवणमांसानां सपयोदधिसर्पिषाम्

Transliteration

ātmārthaṃ pāyasamasau paryapākṣīdanekadhā | lākṣālavaṇamāṃsānāṃ sapayodadhisarpiṣām

Translation

സ്വാർത്ഥലാഭത്തിനായി അവൻ പലവിധമായി പായസം വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും പാചകം ചെയ്തു—ലാക്ഷ, ഉപ്പ്, മാംസം എന്നിവയോടും, പാൽ, തൈര്, നെയ്യ് എന്നിവയോടും കൂടി।

Word by Word

• आत्मार्थम्: for his own sake
• आत्मार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययत्वेन प्रयुक्तम्; अर्थः—स्वार्थे (for one’s own purpose)

• पायसम्: rice-pudding, sweet milk-rice
• पायसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative); एकवचन

• असौ: that man, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन

• पर्यपाक्षीत्: cooked (thoroughly)
• पर्यपाक्षीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; उपसर्गः—परि; अर्थः—पर्यपचत् (cooked thoroughly)

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• लाक्षा: lac
• लाक्षा: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• लवण: salt
• लवण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• मांसानाम्: of meats
• मांसानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

• सपयः: with milk
• सपयः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; (पयसा सहितम्) ‘with milk’; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• दधि: curd, yogurt
• दधि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• सर्पिषाम्: of ghee
• सर्पिषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A morally fallen householder cooks lavish pāyasa repeatedly for himself, surrounded by vessels of milk, curd, and ghee; the atmosphere is heavy with indulgence, foreshadowing karmic consequence against the distant sanctity of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Self-serving indulgence and impure livelihood are portrayed as adharma that leads to painful consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on condemning conduct rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it is part of a moral-legal description of wrongdoing.