Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

विहाय मातरं चैकां सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम । तदाशिषमपि प्राज्ञस्त्यजेदाशीविषोपमाम

Transliteration

vihāya mātaraṃ caikāṃ sarvamaṃgalavarjitāma | tadāśiṣamapi prājñastyajedāśīviṣopamāma

Translation

إلا الأم وحدها، التي ينبغي تمييزها وإفرادها بالتوقير، فإنّ الحكيم يرفض حتى بركة من خلا من كلّ يمنٍ وبركة، ويعدّها كأنها حيّةٌ سامة.

Word by Word

• विहाय: leaving aside/excepting
• विहाय: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि- (उपसर्ग) + हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having abandoned/excepting’

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकाम्: one/only
• एकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘one/only’ (qualifying मातरम्)

• सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम्: devoid of all auspiciousness
• सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘सर्वेषां मङ्गलानां वर्जिता’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• आशिषम्: blessing
• आशिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• प्राज्ञः: a wise person
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आशीविषोपमाम्: like a venomous snake
• आशीविषोपमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘आशीविषस्य उपमा’ (like a venomous snake)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise person respectfully receives the mother’s blessing while declining another blessing, depicted symbolically as a serpent near the rejected hand to match ‘āśīviṣopamā’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It prioritizes filial reverence to the mother while presenting a strict, omen-centered caution regarding ‘inauspicious’ associations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s ethical instruction stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite; it discusses accepting or rejecting āśīḥ (blessings) as a matter of conduct.