Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110
वृक्षांश्छित्त्वा पशून्हत्वा कृत्वा रुधिरकर्दमम । दग्ध्वा वह्नौ तिलाज्यादि चित्रं स्वर्गोऽभिलप्यते
vṛkṣāṃśchittvā paśūnhatvā kṛtvā rudhirakardamama | dagdhvā vahnau tilājyādi citraṃ svargo'bhilapyate
വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ വെട്ടി, പശുക്കളെ കൊല്ലി, രക്തക്കളിമണ്ണാക്കി—പിന്നെ അഗ്നിയിൽ എള്ളും നെയ്യും മുതലായവ ദഹിപ്പിച്ച്—വിചിത്രമായി ‘സ്വർഗ്ഗം’ തന്നെയാണു ലക്ഷ്യമെന്ന് പറയുന്നു.
Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)
Scene: A stark contrast scene: foreground shows felled trees, slain animals, and a blood-mire near a sacrificial fire; background shows people speaking of ‘svarga’ while a compassionate sage looks on in sorrow, pointing to the contradiction.
FAQs
Ritual claims cannot sanctify cruelty; violence done for ‘religious’ ends is condemned as spiritually incoherent.
The verse occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame, but it is a general ethical critique rather than a site-specific praise.
It references fire-offerings (tilājyādi in vahni) and implicitly warns against linking such offerings with harm to trees and animals.