Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विपद्यपि हि ते धन्या न ये दैन्यप्रणोदिताः । धनैर्मलिनचित्तानामालभंतेंगणं क्वचित्

Transliteration

vipadyapi hi te dhanyā na ye dainyapraṇoditāḥ | dhanairmalinacittānāmālabhaṃteṃgaṇaṃ kvacit

Translation

طوبى حقًّا لمن، حتى في الشدّة، لا تُساق نفسه إلى الذلّ والبؤس؛ أمّا من تلطّخ قلبه بالمال، فقد ينال أحيانًا موطئ قدمٍ في الدار بفضل الثروة وحدها.

Word by Word

• विपदि: in misfortune
• विपदि: Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अप्यर्थक-निपात (even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चय/हेतु-निपात

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘तद्’ सर्वनाम

• धन्याः: fortunate, blessed
• धन्याः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेध-निपात

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• दैन्यप्रणोदिताः: driven by wretchedness
• दैन्यप्रणोदिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘ये’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैन्य + प्रणोदित (कृदन्त; प्र-नुद् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘दैन्येन प्रणोदिताः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; भूतकृदन्त

• धनैः: by wealth, with riches
• धनैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मलिनचित्तानाम्: of those whose minds are tainted
• मलिनचित्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलिन + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘मलिनं चित्तं येषाम्’ इति कर्मधारय-प्रयोग (बहुव्रीहि-अर्थे विशेषणवत्), षष्ठी-बहुवचन

• आलभन्ते: they obtain, they gain
• आलभन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• अङ्गणम्: courtyard; (fig.) a place/standing
• अङ्गणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्वचित्: somewhere, at some time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somewhere/sometimes)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution continuing from Skanda uvāca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting figures: one poor yet composed amid misfortune, another wealthy with a troubled, stained mind gaining entry to a grand courtyard; the moral contrast is internal rather than external.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True blessedness is inner steadiness without dejection; wealth can buy access, but it cannot cleanse a stained mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as dharma-upadeśa within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse critiques wealth-driven conduct and praises resilience.