Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 220

Devanagari script

विधायान्नमनग्नं तदुपरिष्टादधस्तथा । आपोशनविधानेन कृत्वाश्नीयात्सुधीर्द्विजः

Transliteration

vidhāyānnamanagnaṃ tadupariṣṭādadhastathā | āpośanavidhānena kṛtvāśnīyātsudhīrdvijaḥ

Translation

அக்னித் தோஷமற்ற, மாசில்லாத உணவை விதிப்படி மேலும்கீழுமாக ஒழுங்குபடுத்தி, அறிவுடைய த்விஜன் ‘ஆபோஷணம்’ முறையைச் செய்து பின்னரே உண்பான்।

Word by Word

• vidhāya: having arranged / having placed
• vidhāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/अव्ययभाव कृदन्त), √धा (dhā) with उपसर्ग vi-; अर्थः ‘विधाय’ = ‘कृत्वा/स्थापयित्वा’

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anagnam: uncooked / not fire-touched
• anagnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-agna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थक विशेषण (not ‘agna’/not touched by fire; i.e., uncooked)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• upariṣṭāt: from above / above
• upariṣṭāt: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upariṣṭāt (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘from above/above’)

• adhaḥ: below
• adhaḥ: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place: ‘below/down’)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/likewise’)

• āpośana-vidhānena: by the procedure of āpośana (ritual sipping/purification)
• āpośana-vidhānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpośana (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘आपोशनस्य विधानम्’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund), √कृ (kṛ); अर्थः ‘having done’

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: aś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √अश् (aś) ‘to eat’

• sudhīḥ: the wise one
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘सु’ (good) + ‘धी’ (intellect) = ‘सुधी’ (wise person)

• dvijaḥ: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सुधीः इत्यस्य विशेष्य/समनाधिकरण (appositional)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ācāra-śuddhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija sits on a clean seat with a leaf-plate; water vessel at hand; he performs āpośana with composed posture before beginning his meal; a simple Kāśī household/āśrama setting.

Characters & Entities

• Āpośana
• Anna (food)
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Everyday acts like eating become dharmic when performed with cleanliness and prescribed purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The conduct is taught within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-oriented dharma instruction; the verse itself is not site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ensure food is undefiled and perform āpośana properly before eating.