Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

उदाहरंति ये मूढाः कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः । काश्यां सर्वेर्थवादोयं ते विट्कीटा युगेयुगे

Transliteration

udāharaṃti ye mūḍhāḥ kutarkabaladarpitāḥ | kāśyāṃ sarverthavādoyaṃ te viṭkīṭā yugeyuge

Translation

أولئك الحمقى، المتكبّرون بقوة الجدل المعوجّ، الذين يوردون هذا في شأن كاشي على أنه «مبالغة»، إنما هم حشراتُ الروث، دهرًا بعد دهر.

Word by Word

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite, they bring up (as an example)
• उदाहरन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-√हृ (धातु; हृञ्—हरणे)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मूढाः: fools, deluded ones
• मूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; √मुह्—मोहने से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः: puffed up by the strength of bad reasoning
• कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुतर्क-बल-दर्पित (प्रातिपदिक; कुतर्क + बल + दर्पित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying ‘ये/मूढाः’)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वार्थवादः: the doctrine that ‘everything is (true/meaningful)’ (sarvārthavāda)
• सर्वार्थवादः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वार्थवाद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अर्थ + वाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: they, those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विट्कीटाः: worms and insects (vermin)
• विट्कीटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विट्कीट (प्रातिपदिक; विट् + कीट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगे: in (each) age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular) (पुनरुक्ति: distributive sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a reciter-sage proclaiming Kāśī’s glory, while arrogant debaters scoff; the scoffers are symbolically shown as dung-insects near refuse, contrasted with radiant pilgrims and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disparaging the sanctity of Kāśī as ‘mere praise’ is spiritually degrading; reverence protects dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a uniquely praised and efficacious sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a warning against nāstika-style contempt and hostile criticism.