Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ग्रामादानीय वाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान्वसन्वने । इत्थं वनाश्रमी विप्रो ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Transliteration

grāmādānīya vāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsānvasanvane | itthaṃ vanāśramī vipro brahmaloke mahīyate

Translation

گاؤں سے کھانا لا کر، جنگل میں رہتے ہوئے وہ صرف آٹھ لقمے کھائے۔ اس طرح وناشرم میں رہنے والا وِپر برہملوک میں عزت پاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• grāmāt: from the village
• grāmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ānīya: having brought
• ānīya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (नी धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having brought’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• aśnīyāt: should eat
• aśnīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (अश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (ग्रासान् इति विशेष्ये)

• grāsān: mouthfuls
• grāsān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vasan: dwelling
• vasan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (वस् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘dwelling’

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ittham: thus
• ittham: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• vana-āśramī: a forest-dwelling āśramī (vānaprastha)
• vana-āśramī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + āśramin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वनाश्रमिन् = ‘one in the forest-stage (vānaprastha)’

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

• brahma-loke: in Brahma’s world
• brahma-loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ब्रह्मलोक = ‘world of Brahmā’

• mahīyate: is honored/exalted
• mahīyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: ‘is honored/glorified’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa vānaprastha in a simple bark garment sits in a forest clearing with a small leaf-plate, counting eight mouthfuls; in the distance a village path indicates he brings minimal food from the settlement; above, a subtle vision of Brahmaloka (lotus-like radiance).

Characters & Entities

• Brahmaloka
• Vipra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured consumption (mitāhāra) supports purity and steadiness, turning forest life into a ladder toward higher worlds and spiritual refinement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma-teachings; it does not single out a named tīrtha but contributes to Kāśī’s renunciant ideal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dietary discipline: eating only eight mouthfuls while living in the forest.