Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दंडवार्ता सदा यत्र कृतसंन्यासकर्मणाम् । मार्गणाश्चापकेष्वेव भिक्षुका ब्रह्मचारिणः

Transliteration

daṃḍavārtā sadā yatra kṛtasaṃnyāsakarmaṇām | mārgaṇāścāpakeṣveva bhikṣukā brahmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

Dort ist die Rede vom Asketenstab (daṇḍa) stets gegenwärtig unter denen, die die Handlungen des Saṃnyāsa auf sich genommen haben; und Brahmacārins, die von Almosen leben, findet man nur als disziplinierte Sucher, auf ihren rechten Pfad ausgerichtet.

Word by Word

• दण्ड-वार्ता: talk of the staff (daṇḍa)
• दण्ड-वार्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• कृत-संन्यास-कर्मणाम्: of those whose act is renunciation / of those who have undertaken renunciation
• कृत-संन्यास-कर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मार्गणाः: searchings, pursuits
• मार्गणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आपकेषु: among the āpaka-s (a group/sect; context-specific)
• आपकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एव: only, indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis)

• भिक्षुकाः: mendicants
• भिक्षुकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्रह्मचारिणः: celibate students/ascetics
• ब्रह्मचारिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A street near Kāśī ghāṭs where renunciants discuss the daṇḍa and vows; brahmacārins with water-pot and staff move in orderly lines for bhikṣā, faces calm and focused.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃnyāsin
• Brahmacārin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is portrayed as a place where renunciation, disciplined seeking, and sacred learning are socially honored and continuously cultivated.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), famed for its saṃnyāsins and brahmacārins living by dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is given; the verse emphasizes the āśrama-dharma of saṃnyāsa and brahmacarya.