Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कृमिभक्ष्ये देवद्वेष्टा कृमिशे तु दुरिष्टकृत् । पितृदेवात्पूर्वमश्रल्लांलाभक्ष्ये प्रयाति च

Transliteration

kṛmibhakṣye devadveṣṭā kṛmiśe tu duriṣṭakṛt | pitṛdevātpūrvamaśrallāṃlābhakṣye prayāti ca

Translation

ଦେବଦ୍ୱେଷୀ ‘କୃମିଭକ୍ଷ୍ୟ’ ନରକକୁ ଯାଏ; ଦୁଷ୍ଟ ଯଜ୍ଞକର୍ତ୍ତା ‘କୃମିଶ’ ନରକରେ ପତିତ ହୁଏ। ପିତୃ-ଦେବଙ୍କୁ ଅର୍ପଣ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ଯେ ଭୋଜନ କରେ, ସେ ‘ଲାଂଲାଭକ୍ଷ୍ୟ’ ନରକ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରେ।

Word by Word

• कृमिभक्ष्ये: in Kṛmibhakṣya (worm-food hell)
• कृमिभक्ष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि + भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृमेः भक्ष्यम्)

• देवद्वेष्टा: hater of the gods
• देवद्वेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + द्वेष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवान् द्वेष्टि)

• कृमिशे: in Kṛmiśa (a hell)
• कृमिशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; नरक-नाम/स्थाननिर्देश

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• दुरिष्टकृत्: doer of evil rites
• दुरिष्टकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरिष्ट + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (दुरिष्टं करोति)

• पितृदेवात्: from (the duty to) ancestors and gods
• पितृदेवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (पितरः च देवाः च)

• पूर्वम्: before
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• अश्रत्: did not have faith / disbelieved
• अश्रत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रद्/श्रद्धा (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Imperfect-like), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; (पाठदोष-सम्भावना) ‘अश्रद्धत्/अश्रद्दधात्’ इत्यर्थे

• लांलाभक्ष्ये: in Lāṃlābhakṣya (a hell)
• लांलाभक्ष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लांला + भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लांलायाः भक्ष्यम्) ; नरक-नाम (पाठदुर्लभ)

• प्रयाति: goes
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Underworld scenes dominated by crawling worms: Kṛmibhakṣya as a pit where worms consume the deva-hater; Kṛmiśa as a swamp of worms for the corrupt sacrificer; Lāṃlābhakṣya as a grotesque feast where the offender is forced to eat foul remnants while offerings to Pitṛs/Devas remain untouched in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Pitṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires reverence to Devas and Pitṛs and purity in rites; hatred and ritual misuse degrade the soul.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the emphasis is on śrāddha and yajña conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied prescription: do not eat before duly offering to Pitṛs and Devas; perform sacrifices correctly (sat-iṣṭi).