Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ग्राम्याणि फलमूलानि फालजान्नं च संत्यजेत् । दंतोलूखलको वा स्यादश्मकुट्टोथ वा भवेत्

Transliteration

grāmyāṇi phalamūlāni phālajānnaṃ ca saṃtyajet | daṃtolūkhalako vā syādaśmakuṭṭotha vā bhavet

Translation

ഗ്രാമ്യമായ ഫലമൂലങ്ങളും ഉഴവിലൂടെ ലഭിച്ച ധാന്യവും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം; ഉലക്ക-ഉരലിൽ ഇടിച്ചോ കല്ലിൽ അരച്ചോ ജീവിതം നയിക്കാം।

Word by Word

• ग्राम्याणि: domestic/village-grown
• ग्राम्याणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying फलमूलानि)

• फलमूलानि: fruits and roots
• फलमूलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः (फल + मूल); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• फालजान्नम्: plough-produced grain/food (cultivated grain)
• फालजान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फालज (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—फालजम् अन्नम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• संत्यजेत्: should completely give up
• संत्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दंतोलूखलकः: a tooth-mortar (one who uses teeth as mortar)/tooth-grinder
• दंतोलूखलकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखल (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—दन्तेन (दन्त-प्रयोगेन) उलूखलः इव/उलूखलसम्बद्धः (तत्पुरुष-प्राय) + क-प्रत्यय (diminutive/agentive nuance)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• स्यात्: may be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अश्मकुट्टः: stone-pounder (one who pounds with a stone)
• अश्मकुट्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्ट (कुट्ट्/कुट् धातु + क्त/कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—अश्मना कुट्टः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अथ: then/else
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/विकल्पार्थ (particle: then/else)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• भवेत्: may become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-ascetic sits on a ghat-side platform with a stone quern, grinding wild grains; nearby a wooden mortar and pestle; baskets of wild roots and fruits; behind, the bustle of Kāśī is muted, emphasizing his withdrawal.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Forest-dweller practices

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reduce dependency on settled society and ownership: the forest-dweller lives by minimal, low-impact means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharma rule within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa corpus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Renounce cultivated foods and adopt austere food-processing methods (pounding/grinding) consistent with vānaprastha.