Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

मखार्थं ब्रह्मणा सृष्टाः पशु द्रुम मृगौषधीः । निघ्नन्नहिंसको विप्रस्तासामपि शुभा गतिः

Transliteration

makhārthaṃ brahmaṇā sṛṣṭāḥ paśu druma mṛgauṣadhīḥ | nighnannahiṃsako viprastāsāmapi śubhā gatiḥ

Translation

مکھ (یَجْن) کی خاطر برہما نے جانور، درخت، ہرن اور اوشدھیاں پیدا کیں۔ اسی یَجْن کے مقصد سے جو برہمن قتل کرے وہ اہنسا والا کہا جاتا ہے، اور ان جانداروں کے لیے بھی شُبھ گتی (نیک انجام) ہے۔

Word by Word

• makha-artham: for the sake of sacrifice
• makha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मखस्य अर्थः = यज्ञार्थम् (for sacrifice)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (agent/instrument)

• sṛṣṭāḥ: created
• sṛṣṭāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘सृष्टाः’ = created

• paśūn: animals
• paśūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• drumān: trees
• drumān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• mṛga-auṣadhīḥ: beasts and herbs
• mṛga-auṣadhīḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + auṣadhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (mṛgāś ca auṣadhyaś ca)

• nighnan: killing
• nighnan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘निघ्नन्’ = killing

• ahiṃsakaḥ: non-violent
• ahiṃsakaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-hiṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (ahiṃsaka = non-violent)

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tāsām: of them
• tāsām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• gatiḥ: destination/state
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic altar scene: a brāhmaṇa officiant performs a makha with strict ritual decorum; surrounding are symbolic representations of animals, trees, deer, and herbs as Brahmā’s created offerings; a luminous path indicates ‘śubhā gati’ for the offered beings.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma distinguishes ordinary harm from ritually bounded acts framed by yajña; intention and scriptural context are central.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī setting), but the verse focuses on yajña-ethics rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references makha/yajña as the context in which certain acts are considered sanctioned within Vedic-sacrificial parameters.