Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

साध्वसंजनयित्वेति केचिदुच्चाटिताः पुरः । तेन विघ्नकृतापौराः कपटद्विजरूपिणा

Transliteration

sādhvasaṃjanayitveti keciduccāṭitāḥ puraḥ | tena vighnakṛtāpaurāḥ kapaṭadvijarūpiṇā

Translation

এভাবে আতঙ্ক সৃষ্টি করে কতককে নগর থেকে তাড়িয়ে দেওয়া হল; আর কপট ব্রাহ্মণের বেশধারী এক ব্যক্তি নগরবাসীদের উপর নানা বিঘ্ন-দুঃখ চাপিয়ে দিল।

Word by Word

• साध्वसम्: fear/terror
• साध्वसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जनयित्वा: having produced
• जनयित्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) + क्त्वान्त; ‘having caused to arise/produced’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• उच्चाटिताः: were driven away
• उच्चाटिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√चाट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘driven away/expelled’

• पुरः: forward/in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय = ‘in front/forward’

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• विघ्नकृताः: causing obstacles
• विघ्नकृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघ्न + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विघ्नं कृतवन्तः)

• पौराः: townspeople
• पौराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कपटद्विजरूपिणा: by one having the guise of a deceitful Brahmin
• कपटद्विजरूपिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपट + द्विज + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कपटेन द्विजरूपं यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure dressed as a brāhmaṇa—white garments, staff, sacred thread—stands amid a frightened crowd. Some citizens are pushed or driven out of the city gates; the impostor’s face shows cunning while the crowd shows confusion and fear.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)
• Deceitful brāhmaṇa (kapaṭa-dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma often advances by disguise; discernment and adherence to true conduct protect society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; the verse highlights ethical dangers within the holy city’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is ethical and narrative (hindrances caused by deception).