Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अदत्तदानः पिशुनः शिश्नोदरपरायणः । किं बहूक्तेन रविज साक्षात्पातक मूर्तिमान्

Transliteration

adattadānaḥ piśunaḥ śiśnodaraparāyaṇaḥ | kiṃ bahūktena ravija sākṣātpātaka mūrtimān

Translation

لم يتصدّق قطّ، وكان نمّامًا، لا همّ له إلا الشهوة والبطن. فما الحاجة إلى الإكثار، يا ابن الشمس؟ لقد كان الخطيئة متجسّدة في صورة منظورة.

Word by Word

• अदत्तदानः: one who gives no gifts
• अदत्तदानः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः (अदत्तं दानं यस्य); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• पिशुनः: malicious, slanderous
• पिशुनः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शिश्न: genitals
• शिश्न: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• उदर: belly
• उदर: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• परायणः: devoted to, intent on
• परायणः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; (परं अयनं यस्य/परायणः) ‘devoted to’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative particle)

• बहूक्तेन: by many words, with much talk
• बहूक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (बहु उक्तम् = much said)

• रविज: O son of the Sun
• रविज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (रवेः जः = born of the Sun); पुल्लिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्षार्थक/निश्चयार्थक (directly, manifestly)

• पातक: sin, crime
• पातक: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘मूर्तिमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यरूपेण

• मूर्तिमान्: embodied, having form
• मूर्तिमान्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: मतुपन्त-विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ravija (Sūrya-putra; likely Yama in dharma narrative address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A judge-like moment in narration: the sinner stands exposed as 'sin embodied'—empty hands (no charity), a forked tongue motif (slander), and symbols of lust and gluttony (belly, bed, overflowing dishes) surrounding him; a distant solar emblem hints at 'Ravija'.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Ravija (son of the Sun; likely Yama/Dharmarāja by epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life without charity, ruled by slander and sensual appetite, is portrayed as the very embodiment of pāpa (sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger work-section is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī), but this verse is moral characterization, not tīrtha glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly praises dāna (charitable giving) by condemning its absence.