Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मधुमांसं प्राणिहिंसां भास्करालोकनांजने । स्त्रियं पर्युषितोच्छिष्टंपरिवादं विवजर्येत्

Transliteration

madhumāṃsaṃ prāṇihiṃsāṃ bhāskarālokanāṃjane | striyaṃ paryuṣitocchiṣṭaṃparivādaṃ vivajaryet

Translation

พึงเว้นน้ำผึ้งและเนื้อสัตว์ การเบียดเบียนชีวิต การจ้องมองดวงอาทิตย์ และการทาคัจชล (อัญชัน/คอลลีเรียม); อีกทั้งพึงเว้นการคบหาหญิงโดยผิดธรรม อาหารค้างคืนและอาหารเหลือเดน และการนินทาว่าร้าย

Word by Word

• मधु-मांसम्: honey and meat
• मधु-मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (समाहार-द्वन्द्व) ‘honey and meat (as items)’

• प्राणि-हिंसाम्: harm to living beings
• प्राणि-हिंसाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘प्राणिनां हिंसा’ (violence to living beings)

• भास्कर-आलोकन-अञ्जने: sun-gazing and applying collyrium
• भास्कर-आलोकन-अञ्जने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + आलोकन (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; पाठानुसार समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयः—‘भास्करालोकनं च अञ्जनं च’ (sun-gazing and collyrium/eye-ointment)

• स्त्रियम्: a woman
• स्त्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पर्युषित-उच्छिष्टम्: stale food and leftovers
• पर्युषित-उच्छिष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्युषित (कृदन्त from परि+वस्/उष्? ‘stale/kept overnight’) + उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयः—‘पर्युषितं च उच्छिष्टं च’ (stale food and leftovers)

• परिवादम्: slander
• परिवादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘slander/censure’

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should avoid’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim turns away from a butcher’s stall and from a gossiping group; he offers grains to a cow, eats fresh sattvic food, and keeps respectful distance from illicit temptation; the sun is shown veiled as he avoids staring.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of body, speech, and conduct sustains spiritual merit—avoid harm, impurity, and corrosive speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The guidance is situated within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s framework for sanctified living in Kāśī, rather than a single named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A set of niyamas (avoidances) is given: certain foods, harmful acts, and impure/defaming behaviors are prohibited.