Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

यदंगमपराध्नोति कार्यं तस्यैव शासनम् । अतो येन कृता निंदा तच्छिन्नं पचमं शिरः

Transliteration

yadaṃgamaparādhnoti kāryaṃ tasyaiva śāsanam | ato yena kṛtā niṃdā tacchinnaṃ pacamaṃ śiraḥ

Translation

Welches Glied auch immer ein Vergehen begeht, die Strafe ist genau an diesem Teil zu vollziehen. Da die Verleumdung von jenem begangen wurde, wurde der fünfte Kopf abgeschlagen.

Word by Word

• yat: whatever; which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• aṅgam: limb; part
• aṅgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• aparādhnoti: offends; transgresses against
• aparādhnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-√rādh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kāryam: to be done; proper (act)
• kāryam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• tasya: of that (person)
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक

• śāsanam: punishment; chastisement
• śāsanam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāsana (प्रातिपदिक; √śās (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore)

• yena: by whom; whereby
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agentive instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (by whom/whereby)

• kṛtā: done; made
• kṛtā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘निन्दा’ इति विशेषण

• niṃdā: blame; censure
• niṃdā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṃdā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘छिन्नम्’ इति विशेषण

• chinnam: cut off
• chinnam: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• pañcamam: fifth
• pañcamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शिरः’ इति विशेषण

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience (didactic target: pilgrims/householders)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a symbolic figure of Dharma points to the mouth/head as the seat of slander; the severed fifth head is shown as consequence, while Bhairava stands as enforcer of proportionate justice.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhairava
• Brahmā (five heads implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches a dhārmic principle: accountability—punishment corresponds to the organ or agency through which wrongdoing is committed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is ethical-mythic, situated within the Kāśī narrative that extols Bhairava’s rule in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it explains the rationale (niṃdā leading to severance of the fifth head).