Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

चौरा एव महाचौरैरुल्लुठ्यंत इतस्ततः । मांसवृत्त्योपजीवंति प्राणिनः प्राणरक्षिणः

Transliteration

caurā eva mahācaurairulluṭhyaṃta itastataḥ | māṃsavṛttyopajīvaṃti prāṇinaḥ prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ

Translation

แม้พวกโจรก็ถูกมหาโจรปล้นสะดมไปทั่วทุกแห่ง สรรพสัตว์ผู้มุ่งเพียงรักษาชีวิตยังชีพด้วยการเลี้ยงชีพจากเนื้อสัตว์

Word by Word

• caurāḥ: thieves
• caurāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• mahācauraiḥ: by great thieves
• mahācauraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ulluṭhyante: are plundered/robbed
• ulluṭhyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ulluṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• itaḥ: from here
• itaḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from here)

• tataḥ: from there
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from there)

• māṃsavṛttyā: by a livelihood of meat
• māṃsavṛttyā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upajīvanti: live by/maintain themselves
• upajīvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• prāṇinaḥ: living beings
• prāṇinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ: protectors of life
• prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + rakṣiṇ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lawless landscape where petty thieves are robbed by stronger bandits; frightened villagers carry scant belongings; hunters/butchers sustain themselves by meat amid desolation.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without dharmic governance and sacred order, society turns predatory; mere survival becomes the highest aim, replacing righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it forms the distress backdrop for the later glorification of Avimukta/Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a fall into non-ritual, survival-driven conduct.