Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्राणात्यये क्रतौ श्राद्धे भैषजे विप्रकाम्यया । अलौल्यमित्थं पललं भक्षयन्नैव दोषभाक्

Transliteration

prāṇātyaye kratau śrāddhe bhaiṣaje viprakāmyayā | alaulyamitthaṃ palalaṃ bhakṣayannaiva doṣabhāk

Translation

Dalam bahaya nyawa, dalam yajña, dalam śrāddha, sebagai ubat, atau demi menyenangkan seorang brāhmaṇa—jika tanpa ketamakan—maka orang yang demikian memakan palala (daging) tidak menanggung dosa.

Word by Word

• प्राणात्यये: in danger of life; at the point of death
• प्राणात्यये: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणात्यय (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण + अत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानाम् अत्ययः)

• क्रतौ: in a sacrifice
• क्रतौ: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्राद्धे: in a śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भैषजे: in medical treatment
• भैषजे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैषज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्रकाम्यया: for the sake of a brāhmaṇa (desire to please/serve a brāhmaṇa)
• विप्रकाम्यया: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रकाम्य (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + काम्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विप्रस्य काम्या/विप्रार्था कामना)

• अलौल्यम्: without greed
• अलौल्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलौल्यम् (प्रातिपदिक; अ + लौल्यम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (absence of greed)

• इत्थम्: thus; in this way
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• पललम्: meat/flesh
• पललम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भक्षयन्: eating
• भक्षयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• दोषभाक्: incurring fault; blameworthy
• दोषभाक्: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोषभाज् (प्रातिपदिक; दोष + भाज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दोषस्य भाज् = भागी)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sick pilgrim in Kāśī receives a physician’s measured prescription; nearby a śrāddha rite proceeds; the central motif is a small portion of palala taken without desire, contrasted with a larger rejected platter symbolizing greed.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not rigid: necessity, ritual duty, healing, and service—when free from greed—remove fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied setting; the verse frames how residents/pilgrims uphold dharma amid ritual and necessity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible contexts are listed (kratu, śrāddha, medicine, emergency, honoring a vipra) where eating palala is not blameworthy if done without greed.