Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65
जातमात्रः शिशुस्तावद्यावदष्टौ समाः स्मृताः । भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु नो दु्ष्येद्यावन्नैवोपनीयते
jātamātraḥ śiśustāvadyāvadaṣṭau samāḥ smṛtāḥ | bhakṣyābhakṣyeṣu no du्ṣyedyāvannaivopanīyate
กล่าวกันว่าเด็กน้อยนับเป็น ‘เพิ่งเกิด’ จนถึงแปดปี; ตราบใดที่ยังมิได้ประกอบอุปนยนะ ก็ไม่ถือว่ามีโทษในเรื่องของที่ควรกินและไม่ควรกิน
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A small child in Kāśī near a guru’s abode, holding a simple toy or fruit; elders discuss upanayana and dietary discipline. A sacred thread ceremony is hinted by a yajñopavīta and a small altar in the background.
FAQs
Moral responsibility is gradual; before initiation and maturity, a child is treated with leniency in rule-based matters such as dietary prohibitions.
The instruction is part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma discourse in the sacred setting of Kāśī.
Upanayana (initiation) is referenced as the threshold after which stricter dharmic accountability applies.