Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

केचित्पक्वान्नपुष्टांगा यज्ञपात्राण्यचूर्णयन् । अमोटयन्स्रुचादंडान्केचिद्दोर्दंडशालिनः

Transliteration

kecitpakvānnapuṣṭāṃgā yajñapātrāṇyacūrṇayan | amoṭayansrucādaṃḍānkeciddordaṃḍaśālinaḥ

Translation

บางพวก ผู้มีกายกำยำด้วยอาหารสุกอันอุดม บดขยี้ภาชนะของยัญพิธีให้แหลก; อีกพวกผู้มีแขนกล้า โกรธจัดจนหักสรุจิและด้ามของมันเสีย

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• पक्वान्न: cooked food
• पक्वान्न: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्व + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; समासः कर्मधारयः (पक्वम् अन्नम्); (Stem; Neuter; used as first member of compound)

• पुष्ट: nourished
• पुष्ट: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्ट (कृदन्त; √पुष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Past passive participle used adjectivally; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• अङ्गाः: limbs/bodies
• अङ्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; अत्र बहुव्रीहौ ‘पुष्टाङ्गाः’ इति—पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Stem; here as member of bahuvrīhi; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; (Stem; Masculine; used as first member of compound)

• पात्राणि: vessels
• पात्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• अचूर्णयन्: they pulverized
• अचूर्णयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चूर्णय् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम् (Past; Active; 3rd person plural)

• अमोटयन्: they broke
• अमोटयन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुट्/√मोट् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम् (Past; Active; 3rd person plural)

• स्रुचः: ladles
• स्रुचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रुच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• दण्डान्: staffs/handles
• दण्डान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम् (Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• दोर्: arm
• दोर्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोर्/दोः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; (Stem; used as first member of compound)

• दण्ड: staff/rod
• दण्ड: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकम्; (Stem; used as middle member of compound)

• शालिनः: having staff-like arms
• शालिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (दोर्-दण्ड-शालिन् = having arms like staffs) (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chaotic sacrificial arena: well-fed, strong-limbed attendants and fierce beings smash yajña-vessels; ladles and handles splinter; offerings scatter; priests recoil as the rite collapses.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña (sacrifice)
• yajña-pātra (sacrificial vessels)
• sruc (ladle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power without reverence for Maheśvara becomes hollow; arrogance in sacrifice invites downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s teaching framework; the immediate line narrates Dakṣa-yajña rather than naming a distinct Kāśī tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it describes the breaking of yajña implements, emphasizing the limits of ritualism divorced from devotion.