Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

शिलोंछ वृत्तया ये वै दंतोलूखलिकाश्च ये । अश्मकुट्टाश्च मुनयः शीर्णपर्णाशिनश्च ये

Transliteration

śiloṃcha vṛttayā ye vai daṃtolūkhalikāśca ye | aśmakuṭṭāśca munayaḥ śīrṇaparṇāśinaśca ye

Translation

جو شیلونچھ ورت سے جیتے ہیں (گِرے ہوئے دانے چن کر)، جو دانتوں کو اوکھلی کی طرح بنا کر پیستے ہیں، جو پتھروں سے کوٹتے ہیں، اور جو سوکھے پتّوں پر گزارا کرتے ہیں—ایسے منی وہاں پائے جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• शिल-उञ्छ-वृत्तया: by the livelihood of gleaning (from stones/ground)
• शिल-उञ्छ-वृत्तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल (प्रातिपदिक) + उञ्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: शिलउञ्छवृत्ति (तत्पुरुष; ‘शिल-उञ्छ’ = stone-picked gleaning; तया वृत्त्या), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; manner/means

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun ‘who’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• दन्त-उलूखलिकाः: those who use teeth as a mortar (austerity-practitioners)
• दन्त-उलूखलिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद: दन्तैः उलूखलिकावत्/दन्तोलूखलिका), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; a class of ascetics

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun (repeated)

• अश्म-कुट्टाः: stone-pounders (ascetics)
• अश्म-कुट्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from कुट्ट्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अश्मना कुट्टाः/अश्मकुट्टाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; a class of ascetics

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• शीर्ण-पर्ण-आशिनः: eaters of withered leaves
• शीर्ण-पर्ण-आशिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त, शॄ/शीर्ण, क्त) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपद: ‘शीर्णानि पर्णानि आश्नन्ति’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; those who eat fallen leaves

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun (repeated)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapoloka (as locus of perfected tapasvins)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Groups of sages in a forested, luminous realm: some gleaning fallen grains, some chewing hard grains as if grinding, some pounding with stones, others eating dry leaves—each shown with calm faces and controlled posture.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Tapoloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life of radical simplicity and restraint—even in food—supports the power of tapas and spiritual elevation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Tapoloka-mahātmya within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; it is not tied to a single bathing-place but to the ideal of ascetic attainment associated with Kāśī’s spiritual vision.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dietary and livelihood restraints: gleaning, minimal processing of food, and subsisting on austere fare like withered leaves.