Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यज्ञार्थं पशुहिंसा या सा स्वर्ग्या नेतरा क्वचित् । त्यजेत्पर्युषितं सर्वमखंडस्नेह वर्जितम्

Transliteration

yajñārthaṃ paśuhiṃsā yā sā svargyā netarā kvacit | tyajetparyuṣitaṃ sarvamakhaṃḍasneha varjitam

Translation

യജ്ഞാർത്ഥമായി നടക്കുന്ന പശുഹിംസ സ്വർഗ്ഗപ്രദമെന്നു പറയുന്നു; മറ്റേതൊരു ഹിംസയും അങ്ങനെ അല്ല. കൂടാതെ പഴകിയ ആഹാരവും, അഖണ്ഡസ്നേഹമില്ലാത്തത്—യഥോചിത സ്നിഗ്ധത/ഘൃതസാരം ഇല്ലാത്തതും—എല്ലാം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• यज्ञार्थम्: for the sake of sacrifice
• यज्ञार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यज्ञार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; यज्ञ + अर्थ)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषण (for the sake of sacrifice)

• पशुहिंसा: killing of an animal
• पशुहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक; पशु + हिंसा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पशोः हिंसा)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• स्वर्ग्या: leading to heaven; meritorious
• स्वर्ग्या: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

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

• इतरा: other (one)
• इतरा: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अन्या’ इत्यर्थे; विधेय-विशेषण

• क्वचित्: ever; anywhere
• क्वचित्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अव्यय (adverb: ever/anywhere)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• पर्युषितम्: stale; kept overnight
• पर्युषितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्युषित (प्रातिपदिक; √वस्/उष्? क्त; ‘परि-उषित’ = stale)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (सर्वम् इत्यस्य/वस्तुनः)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धि

• अखण्डस्नेहवर्जितम्: devoid of unbroken ghee/oil (i.e., lacking intact fat/unctuousness)
• अखण्डस्नेहवर्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखण्डस्नेहवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; अखण्ड + स्नेह + वर्जित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अखण्डः स्नेहः यस्मिन् नास्ति/तेन वर्जितम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘वर्जित’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small yajña scene contrasted with a hunter: on one side a regulated sacrificial altar with priests; on the other, ordinary killing shown as shadowy and rejected; alongside, a pilgrim discards stale food and chooses fresh sattvika fare.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Svarga
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma distinguishes sanctioned sacrificial context from ordinary violence, and also insists on purity through fresh, proper food.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred environment where refined dharma—both ethical and ritual—is to be observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A doctrinal rule about yajña-context violence, plus a practical rule to avoid stale/kept food and improperly prepared foods.