Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ तु भक्ष्यौ पाठीनरोहितौ । मांसाशिभिस्त्वमी भक्ष्याः शश शल्लक कच्छपाः

Transliteration

havyakavyaniyuktau tu bhakṣyau pāṭhīnarohitau | māṃsāśibhistvamī bhakṣyāḥ śaśa śallaka kacchapāḥ

Translation

దేవహవ్య, పితృకవ్య అర్పణలకు విధిగా నియమించబడినప్పుడు పాఠీన, రోహిత చేపలు భక్ష్యములు. మాంసాహారులకు శశ (కుందేలు), శల్లక (ముళ్లపంది), కచ్ఛప (తాబేలు) కూడా భక్ష్యములుగా చెప్పబడినవి.

Word by Word

• हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ: appointed for offerings to gods and ancestors
• हव्यकव्यनियुक्तौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हव्यकव्यनियुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + कव्य + नियुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुषः (हव्ये कव्ये च नियुक्तौ)

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

• भक्ष्यौ: edible/permitted to be eaten
• भक्ष्यौ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• पाठीनरोहितौ: the fish pāṭhīna and rohita
• पाठीनरोहितौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठीनरोहित (प्रातिपदिक; पाठीन + रोहित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पाठीनश्च रोहितश्च)

• मांसाशिभिः: by meat-eaters
• मांसाशिभिः: Karta (Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाशी (प्रातिपदिक; मांस + आशी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; करण/सहकारक-प्रयोग (by meat-eaters)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भक्ष्याः: edible/permitted
• भक्ष्याः: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• शश: hare/rabbit
• शश: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सूच्य-गणना; list-item)

• शल्लक: porcupine (śallaka)
• शल्लक: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सूच्य-गणना)

• कच्छपाः: tortoises
• कच्छपाः: Karta (Listed subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting on a Kāśī ghat: a brāhmaṇa priest near a small fire and pitṛ offerings; two specific fish are shown symbolically as ritual items, while the overall mood remains restrained and formal.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (havya)
• Pitṛ (kavya)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rules are contextual: what is generally restricted may be permitted when sanctified by deva–pitṛ ritual purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the implied sacred setting; the verse aligns dietary conduct with śrāddha and offering traditions practiced in holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭhīna and rohita are permitted specifically when designated for havya-kavya (deva/pitṛ) rites.