Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

यवान्नैर्वा फलाहारैः शाकाहारैः पयोव्रतैः । प्राणयात्रां प्रकुर्वीत यावत्प्राणः स्वयं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

yavānnairvā phalāhāraiḥ śākāhāraiḥ payovrataiḥ | prāṇayātrāṃ prakurvīta yāvatprāṇaḥ svayaṃ vrajet

Translation

Sustentando a vida com alimento de cevada, ou dieta de frutos, ou de verduras, ou votos de leite, deve-se prosseguir a jornada do sopro vital, até que o prāṇa se retire por si mesmo.

Word by Word

• यवान्नैः: with barley-food
• यवान्नैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यवानाम् अन्नम्)

• वा: or
• वा: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• फलाहारैः: with fruit-diet
• फलाहारैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (फलानाम् आहारः)

• शाकाहारैः: with vegetable-diet
• शाकाहारैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शाकानाम् आहारः)

• पयोव्रतैः: with milk-vows (milk-only observances)
• पयोव्रतैः: Karana (Means/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस्/पयः (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पयसो व्रतम्)

• प्राणयात्राम्: maintenance of life
• प्राणयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणस्य यात्रा)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should carry on; should maintain
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यावत्: until; as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• प्राणः: life-breath; life
• प्राणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: by itself; on its own
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (oneself/by itself)

• व्रजेत्: should depart; should go away
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere figure on the Gaṅgā’s edge at dawn, holding a small bowl of milk or barley gruel, prayer beads in hand, eyes toward a distant temple spire; the body frail yet composed, suggesting the ‘prāṇa-yātrā’ until natural departure.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It commends disciplined, simple sustenance as a form of tapas, while affirming acceptance of life’s natural end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting is implicit; the verse itself is not a site-glorification passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Permissible austerity-diets: barley food, fruits, vegetables, and milk-based vrata.