Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अकृत्वा वैश्वदेवं तु भुंजते ये द्विजाधमाः । इह लोकेन्नहीनाः स्युः काकयोनिं व्रजंत्यथ

Transliteration

akṛtvā vaiśvadevaṃ tu bhuṃjate ye dvijādhamāḥ | iha lokennahīnāḥ syuḥ kākayoniṃ vrajaṃtyatha

Translation

دو بار جنم لینے والوں میں جو کمینے ویشودیو کیے بغیر کھاتے ہیں، وہ اسی دنیا میں رزق سے محروم رہتے ہیں، اور پھر آگے چل کر کوّوں کی یونی/حالت کو پہنچتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• अकृत्वा: without having performed
• अकृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक-क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (negative gerund), 'कृत्वा' with अ- (not having done)

• वैश्वदेवम्: the Vaiśvadeva (rite)
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• भुञ्जते: eat
• भुञ्जते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

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

• द्विजाधमाः: the lowest among the twice-born
• द्विजाधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः—'द्विजेषु अधमाः'

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (deictic adverb)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्नहीनाः: deprived of food
• अन्नहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्युः: would be/should become
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• काकयोनिम्: the womb/species of crows
• काकयोनिम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्रजन्ति: go
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencing/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunctive particle; 'then')

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary vision: a man eats alone without offering; the scene shifts to him suffering hunger and then to a symbolic crow-state, while a contrasting figure offers food and is blessed with abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Food must be sanctified by offering and sharing; otherwise it brings karmic deprivation and degradation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning is delivered within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, reinforcing Kashi’s dharma as integral to its sacred greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not eat without first completing the Vaiśvadeva offering.