Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

तृण्वंति तृणगुल्मादीन्श्वापदास्त्वापदास्पदम् । लोकद्वये दुःखहंहि धिक्तन्मांसस्य भक्षणम्

Transliteration

tṛṇvaṃti tṛṇagulmādīnśvāpadāstvāpadāspadam | lokadvaye duḥkhahaṃhi dhiktanmāṃsasya bhakṣaṇam

Translation

جنگلی درندے گھاس، جھاڑیاں وغیرہ کھا لیتے ہیں، مگر گوشت تو آفت کی نشست ہے۔ یہ دونوں جہانوں میں دکھ دیتا ہے؛ اس گوشت کے کھانے پر لعنت ہے۔

Word by Word

• तृण्वन्ति: they eat/chew
• तृण्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृण् (धातु, तृण्/तृण्- ‘to eat/chew’ as used here)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपदम्

• तृणगुल्मादीन्: grass, shrubs, etc.
• तृणगुल्मादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + गुल्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; ‘-आदि’ अन्त तद्धितार्थ-समास (etc.)

• श्वापदाः: wild beasts/predators
• श्वापदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’

• आपदास्पदम्: a place/abode of calamity
• आपदास्पदम्: Karma/Predicate nominal (कर्म/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आपदां स्पदम् = seat/place of calamity)

• लोकद्वये: in both worlds
• लोकद्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (two worlds)

• दुःखहम्: sorrow-bringing
• दुःखहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + ह (प्रातिपदिक, ‘carrying/bringing’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘bringing sorrow’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये ‘for/indeed’

• धिक्: shame on!/fie!
• धिक्: Discourse (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिक् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (interjection), निन्दार्थक (censure)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshya/Anaphora
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मांसस्य: of meat
• मांसस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• भक्षणम्: eating/consumption
• भक्षणम्: Karma/Topic (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → भक्षण (कृदन्त-भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तिन्/अन-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक-नाम

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Kāśī: a sage addresses a listener, contrasting harmless grazing creatures with the calamity of flesh-eating; the ghāṭs and temples of Vārāṇasī form the backdrop, with a moral spotlight on compassion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meat-eating rooted in harm leads to misfortune and suffering in this world and the next; ahiṃsā is praised as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī-māhātmya, presenting Kāśī as a place that elevates dharma and discourages violence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied restraint (niyama): abstaining from meat as a dharmic discipline; no specific rite is detailed.