Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ग्रामादानीय वाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान्वसन्वने । इत्थं वनाश्रमी विप्रो ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

grāmādānīya vāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsānvasanvane | itthaṃ vanāśramī vipro brahmaloke mahīyate

Translation

വനത്തിൽ വസിച്ച്, ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ആഹാരം കൊണ്ടുവന്ന് എട്ട് ഗ്രാസം മാത്രം ഭക്ഷിക്കണം. ഇങ്ങനെ വനാശ്രമിയായ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ബ്രഹ്മലോകത്തിൽ മഹത്വപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• grāmāt: from the village
• grāmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ānīya: having brought
• ānīya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (नी धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having brought’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (अश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (ग्रासान् इति विशेष्ये)

• grāsān: mouthfuls
• grāsān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vasan: dwelling
• vasan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (वस् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘dwelling’

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ittham: thus
• ittham: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• vana-āśramī: a forest-dwelling āśramī (vānaprastha)
• vana-āśramī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + āśramin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वनाश्रमिन् = ‘one in the forest-stage (vānaprastha)’

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brahma-loke: in Brahma’s world
• brahma-loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ब्रह्मलोक = ‘world of Brahmā’

• mahīyate: is honored/exalted
• mahīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: ‘is honored/glorified’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa vānaprastha in a simple bark garment sits in a forest clearing with a small leaf-plate, counting eight mouthfuls; in the distance a village path indicates he brings minimal food from the settlement; above, a subtle vision of Brahmaloka (lotus-like radiance).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• Vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured consumption (mitāhāra) supports purity and steadiness, turning forest life into a ladder toward higher worlds and spiritual refinement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teachings; it does not single out a named tīrtha but contributes to Kāśī’s renunciant ideal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dietary discipline: eating only eight mouthfuls while living in the forest.