Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पाचकस्तु पचत्यन्नं नित्यं पक्वाशये स्थित । आमाशयस्थोऽपि रसं रंजकः कुरुते त्वसृक्

Transliteration

pācakastu pacatyannaṃ nityaṃ pakvāśaye sthita | āmāśayastho'pi rasaṃ raṃjakaḥ kurute tvasṛk

Translation

പാചകൻ പക്വാശയത്തിൽ സ്ഥിതനായി നിത്യം അന്നം ജീർണ്ണിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. രഞ്ജകൻ ആമാശയപ്രദേശത്ത് ഇരുന്നാലും രസത്തെ രക്തമായി പരിവർത്തനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• pācakaḥ: the digester/cooker (pācaka)
• pācakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pācaka (कृदन्त; √pac धातु)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि-ण्वुल् प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/पदार्थ-विशेषक (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• pacati: cooks/digests
• pacati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• pakvāśaye: in the pakvāśaya (intestine/digestive receptacle)
• pakvāśaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakva-āśaya (प्रातिपदिक; pakva + āśaya)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पक्वः आśयः = पक्वाशयः)

• sthitaḥ: situated
• sthitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/स्थित (past participle)

• āmāśaya-sthaḥ: located in the stomach
• āmāśaya-sthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āma-āśaya-stha (प्रातिपदिक; āma + āśaya + stha)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (आमाशये स्थितः)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; concessive/additive)

• rasam: chyle/essence (rasa)
• rasam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• raṃjakaḥ: the colorer (raṃjaka)
• raṃjakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṃjaka (कृदन्त; √rañj धातु)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-ण्वुल् प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• kurute: makes/produces
• kurute: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/contrast)

• asṛk: blood
• asṛk: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asṛj/asṛk (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (रक्तम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogic-śāstric visualization of the inner body: digestive fire (pācaka) in the intestines and a crimson transformative current (rañjaka) converting rasa into blood, shown as subtle deities/energies within a translucent human form.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Transformation is sacred: what is taken in is refined into life-supporting strength; dharma includes right food and right digestion as supports for worship and duty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse implicitly commends wholesome intake and regulated living.