Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19
मखार्थं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टाः पशु द्रुम मृगौषधीः । निघ्नन्नहिंसको विप्रस्तासामपि शुभा गतिः
makhārthaṃ brahmaṇā sṛṣṭāḥ paśu druma mṛgauṣadhīḥ | nighnannahiṃsako viprastāsāmapi śubhā gatiḥ
യജ്ഞം (മഖം) നിമിത്തം ബ്രഹ്മാവ് പശുക്കളും വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും മൃഗങ്ങളും ഔഷധികളും സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു. ആ യജ്ഞാർത്ഥത്തിൽ വധം ചെയ്യുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ അഹിംസകനെന്ന് പറയപ്പെടുന്നു; അവർക്കും ശുഭഗതി ലഭിക്കുന്നു।
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A Vedic altar scene: a brāhmaṇa officiant performs a makha with strict ritual decorum; surrounding are symbolic representations of animals, trees, deer, and herbs as Brahmā’s created offerings; a luminous path indicates ‘śubhā gati’ for the offered beings.
FAQs
Puranic dharma distinguishes ordinary harm from ritually bounded acts framed by yajña; intention and scriptural context are central.
The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī setting), but the verse focuses on yajña-ethics rather than naming a particular tīrtha.
It references makha/yajña as the context in which certain acts are considered sanctioned within Vedic-sacrificial parameters.