Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

दृष्टिः कारुण्यसंपूर्णा वाणी मधुरभाषिणी । अनालस्यं च कार्येषु तथा गुरुजने नतिः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭiḥ kāruṇyasaṃpūrṇā vāṇī madhurabhāṣiṇī | anālasyaṃ ca kāryeṣu tathā gurujane natiḥ

Translation

Ein Blick voller Mitgefühl, eine süße Rede; Fleiß in den Pflichten und demütige Ehrfurcht vor Älteren und Lehrern—dies wird als dharmisches Kennzeichen des Edlen gepriesen.

Word by Word

• दृष्टिः: gaze, look
• दृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कारुण्यसंपूर्णा: full of compassion
• कारुण्यसंपूर्णा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) ‘दृष्टिः’ इत्यस्य

• वाणी: speech, voice
• वाणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधुरभाषिणी: sweet-speaking
• मधुरभाषिणी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक) + भाषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘वाणी’ इत्यस्य

• अनालस्यं: non-laziness, diligence
• अनालस्यं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनालस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कार्येषु: in duties/works
• कार्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• गुरुजने: towards/in the presence of elders
• गुरुजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुरुजन’ = गुरवः जनाः (elders/teachers)

• नतिः: bowing, reverence
• नतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāgīrathī/Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Avimukta-kshetra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unknown (addressed as ‘tāta’ suggests a close interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī pilgrim near the Gaṅgā-ghāṭa offers respectful namaskāra to an elder/guru; his face shows compassion, and his speech is gentle; the background suggests Viśvanātha’s sacred city atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma is seen in compassion, gentle speech, diligence, and humility toward gurus and elders.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose dharmic culture is being celebrated, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes ethical discipline (sadācāra) as a spiritual practice.