Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अकृत्वा वैश्वदेवं तु भुंजते ये द्विजाधमाः । इह लोकेन्नहीनाः स्युः काकयोनिं व्रजंत्यथ

Transliteration

akṛtvā vaiśvadevaṃ tu bhuṃjate ye dvijādhamāḥ | iha lokennahīnāḥ syuḥ kākayoniṃ vrajaṃtyatha

Translation

വൈശ്വദേവം ചെയ്യാതെ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്ന അധമ ദ്വിജർ ഈ ലോകത്തിൽ അന്നഹീനരാകും; തുടർന്ന് കാകയോനിയെ പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• अकृत्वा: without having performed
• अकृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (negative gerund), 'कृत्वा' with अ- (not having done)

• वैश्वदेवम्: the Vaiśvadeva (rite)
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• भुञ्जते: eat
• भुञ्जते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

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

• द्विजाधमाः: the lowest among the twice-born
• द्विजाधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—'द्विजेषु अधमाः'

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (deictic adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्नहीनाः: deprived of food
• अन्नहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्युः: would be/should become
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• काकयोनिम्: the womb/species of crows
• काकयोनिम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रजन्ति: go
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunctive particle; 'then')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary vision: a man eats alone without offering; the scene shifts to him suffering hunger and then to a symbolic crow-state, while a contrasting figure offers food and is blessed with abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food must be sanctified by offering and sharing; otherwise it brings karmic deprivation and degradation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning is delivered within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reinforcing Kashi’s dharma as integral to its sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not eat without first completing the Vaiśvadeva offering.