Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अस्थिशेषा निरुत्साहास्त्यक्तधर्मव्रतक्रियाः । अभक्ष्यभक्षणपरास्तथैवापेयपायिनः

Transliteration

asthiśeṣā nirutsāhāstyaktadharmavratakriyāḥ | abhakṣyabhakṣaṇaparāstathaivāpeyapāyinaḥ

Translation

അവർ അസ്ഥിമാത്രമായി, ഉത്സാഹരഹിതരായി, ധർമ്മം, വ്രതം, നിത്യകർമ്മങ്ങൾ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു. ഭക്ഷിക്കരുതാത്തത് ഭക്ഷിച്ചു; പാനിക്കരുതാത്തതും പാനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• अस्थिशेषाः: reduced to mere bones
• अस्थिशेषाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थि + शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निरुत्साहाः: without energy
• निरुत्साहाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• त्यक्तधर्मव्रतक्रियाः: having abandoned dharma, vows, and rites
• त्यक्तधर्मव्रतक्रियाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त) + धर्म + व्रत + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘त्यक्त’ (क्त from त्यज्) पूर्वपद; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अभक्ष्यभक्षणपराः: intent on eating what should not be eaten
• अभक्ष्यभक्षणपराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभक्ष्य + भक्षण + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अपेयपायिनः: drinkers of what should not be drunk
• अपेयपायिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपेय + पायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Emaciated people with sunken cheeks, listless posture; scenes of taboo food/drink taken in desperation; abandoned ritual fires cold and ash-covered in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Vrata
• Kriyā
• Abhakṣya
• Apeya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When survival pressures rise, dharma can erode—hence Purāṇas emphasize refuges (tīrthas, vows, rites) that restore order and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it continues the adhyāya’s backstory leading to the Saptarṣi-tīrtha’s prominence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly warns against abandoning vrata and kriyā and against consuming abhakṣya/āpeya; it is descriptive rather than prescriptive.