Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

स्वमांसं परमांसेन यो वर्धयति निर्दयः । स नूनं नरकं याति प्रोक्तमेतन्महर्षिभिः

Transliteration

svamāṃsaṃ paramāṃsena yo vardhayati nirdayaḥ | sa nūnaṃ narakaṃ yāti proktametanmaharṣibhiḥ

Translation

जो निर्दयी होऊन दुसऱ्याच्या मांसाने स्वतःचे मांस वाढवितो, तो निश्चयच नरकास जातो—असे महर्षींनी सांगितले आहे।

Word by Word

• स्वमांसम्: one's own flesh
• स्वमांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc., Singular); समासः—स्व-मांस (one's own flesh)

• परमांसेन: with another's flesh
• परमांसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instr., Singular); समासः—पर-मांस (another's flesh)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun; Masc., Nom., Singular)

• वर्धयति: increases/nourishes
• वर्धयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृध् (धातु), लट्
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular; causative sense 'increases')

• निर्दयः: merciless
• निर्दयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom., Singular)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; certainty)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Acc., Singular)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु), लट्
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been said
• प्रोक्तम्: Karta (Predicate/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; 'said')

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• महर्षिभिः: by great sages
• महर्षिभिः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masc., Instr., Plural)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; immediately prior speaker not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic warning: the cruel person who fattens himself by another’s flesh is shown as morally fallen, with the shadow of hell as consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Maharṣis (great sages)
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruel self-indulgence that harms others (fattening oneself through another’s flesh) is condemned and leads to grave karmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a dharmic warning within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; a specific tīrtha is not named in the verse itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive ritual is prescribed here; it states a prohibition-like ethical principle against cruel meat-based self-nourishment.