Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तां दशां चरमां प्राप्य भक्तियोगं ततश्चर । असकृच्छिक्षितः पित्रेत्यवमन्य गुरोर्गिरम्

Transliteration

tāṃ daśāṃ caramāṃ prāpya bhaktiyogaṃ tataścara | asakṛcchikṣitaḥ pitretyavamanya gurorgiram

Translation

Hast du die letzte Stufe erreicht, so übe danach den Yoga der Hingabe (Bhakti). Doch obwohl der Vater ihn wieder und wieder belehrte, missachtete er das Wort des Älteren und Lehrers.

Word by Word

• tām: that
• tām: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• daśām: state/condition
• daśām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• caramām: final; last
• caramām: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: carama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Purva-kala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (प्राप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘प्राप्य’ = having reached

• bhakti-yogam: the yoga of devotion
• bhakti-yogam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समास: भक्तेः योगः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ततः = then/thereafter (adverb)

• cara: practice; follow
• cara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asakṛt: repeatedly
• asakṛt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• śikṣitaḥ: instructed/taught
• śikṣitaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śikṣ (शिक्ष्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• pitrā: by the father
• pitrā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyartha-marker (Quotation/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• avamanya: having disrespected
• avamanya: Purva-kala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√man (अव+मन्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘अवमान्य’ = having disrespected

• guroḥ: of the teacher
• guroḥ: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• giram: speech; instruction
• giram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gir (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, context of Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A father instructs his son about the final stage—turning to bhakti-yoga—while the son, proud or distracted, turns away, signaling disregard for the guru-like voice of the elder.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa
• Harikeśa’s father
• Guru (elder/teacher figure, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is the highest aim, but contempt for the guru’s counsel is a moral fault; spiritual maturity requires humility and obedience to rightful guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework glorifies Kāśī as a liberating realm; this verse emphasizes the inner discipline of bhakti rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is devotional discipline (bhakti-yoga), not a specific external rite.