Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

परापवादरहितः किंचिद्दानपरायणः । समाः सहस्रमन्यत्र तेन तप्तं महत्तपः

Transliteration

parāpavādarahitaḥ kiṃciddānaparāyaṇaḥ | samāḥ sahasramanyatra tena taptaṃ mahattapaḥ

Translation

Frei von Verleumdung anderer und dem Geben selbst eines Wenigen zugetan, hat er—durch dieses Wohnen und Verhalten in Kāśī—eine große Askese vollbracht, die anderswo tausend Jahren gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• पर-अपवाद-रहितः: free from blaming others
• पर-अपवाद-रहितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अपवाद (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (free from others' censure)

• किंचित्: a little
• किंचित्: Vishesana (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-नपुंसक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable ‘a little’)

• दान-परायणः: devoted to charity
• दान-परायणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुषः (devoted to giving)

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/विषयवाचक-अव्यय (elsewhere/otherwise)

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

• तप्तम्: practised
• तप्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) → तप्त (कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्तान्त (practised/performed)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in the provided excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī offers a small gift—handful of grains or a coin—to a needy person near a ghāṭ, while turning away from a group engaged in gossip; above, a subtle aura suggests the act equals vast tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kāśī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, purity of speech (no slander) and even modest charity become immense tapas by the kṣetra’s power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice dāna (charity), even in small measure, along with restraint from condemning others.