Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

विप्रैरुदर्कमिच्छद्भिः शिक्षणीया यतो नृपाः । अतस्तव हितं ख्यातं किं वा मे चिंतयानया

Transliteration

viprairudarkamicchadbhiḥ śikṣaṇīyā yato nṛpāḥ | atastava hitaṃ khyātaṃ kiṃ vā me ciṃtayānayā

Translation

فإن الملوك ينبغي أن يُعلَّموا على يد البراهمة الساعين إلى الخير الأسمى؛ لذا قد بُيِّن لك ما فيه صلاحك، فبمَ عساي أن أقلق بعد ذلك؟

Word by Word

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (masculine instrumental plural)

• उदर्कम्: the later result; higher outcome
• उदर्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• इच्छद्भिः: desiring
• इच्छद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छत् (प्रातिपदिक; √इष्/इच्छ् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle; instrumental plural)

• शिक्षणीया: should be instructed
• शिक्षणीया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिक्षणीय (प्रातिपदिक; √शिक्ष् धातु, अनीय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (masculine nominative plural; gerundive: 'to be instructed')

• यतः: because
• यतः: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/therefore')

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Inference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (inferential particle: 'therefore/from this')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• हितम्: welfare; benefit
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular)

• ख्यातम्: has been declared/made known
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle; predicate)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• चिन्तया: by worry; by thought
• चिन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (feminine instrumental singular)

• अनया: by this
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (feminine instrumental singular pronoun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context; verse voice aligns with a brāhmaṇa advising a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: implicit audience (king and readers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet closure of instruction: the brāhmaṇa, having taught, adopts a composed posture; the king appears receptive. The atmosphere is that of a dharma-sabhā in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulers should accept guidance from dharmic teachers; right counsel aims at the highest good, not mere worldly gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse stresses dharma-instruction; it sits within the Kāśī-māhātmya frame where Kāśī is the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes the social-dharmic principle of brāhmaṇa instruction for kings.