Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

चौरा एव महाचौरैरुल्लुठ्यंत इतस्ततः । मांसवृत्त्योपजीवंति प्राणिनः प्राणरक्षिणः

Transliteration

caurā eva mahācaurairulluṭhyaṃta itastataḥ | māṃsavṛttyopajīvaṃti prāṇinaḥ prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ

Translation

Ngay cả bọn trộm cũng bị những kẻ đại đạo tặc cướp bóc khắp nơi. Muôn loài chỉ lo giữ mạng, đành sống qua ngày bằng kế sinh nhai dựa vào thịt.

Word by Word

• caurāḥ: thieves
• caurāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• mahācauraiḥ: by great thieves
• mahācauraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ulluṭhyante: are plundered/robbed
• ulluṭhyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ulluṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• itaḥ: from here
• itaḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from here)

• tataḥ: from there
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक (from there)

• māṃsavṛttyā: by a livelihood of meat
• māṃsavṛttyā: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upajīvanti: live by/maintain themselves
• upajīvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa + jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• prāṇinaḥ: living beings
• prāṇinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ: protectors of life
• prāṇarakṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + rakṣiṇ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lawless landscape where petty thieves are robbed by stronger bandits; frightened villagers carry scant belongings; hunters/butchers sustain themselves by meat amid desolation.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without dharmic governance and sacred order, society turns predatory; mere survival becomes the highest aim, replacing righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it forms the distress backdrop for the later glorification of Avimukta/Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a fall into non-ritual, survival-driven conduct.