Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

खरो गुरोः परीवादाच्छ्वा भवेद्गुरुनिंदकः । मत्सरी क्षुद्रकीटःस्यात्परिभोक्ता भवेत्कृमिः

Transliteration

kharo guroḥ parīvādācchvā bhavedguruniṃdakaḥ | matsarī kṣudrakīṭaḥsyātparibhoktā bhavetkṛmiḥ

Translation

Durch Verleumdung des Guru wird man zum Esel; durch Beschimpfung des Guru wird man zum Hund. Der Neidische wird zu einem kleinen Insekt, und wer verzehrt, was nicht sein ist, wird zum Wurm.

Word by Word

• खरः: a donkey
• खरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परिवादात्: from/through slander
• परिवादात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• श्वा: a dog
• श्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रातिपदिक ‘श्वन्’ का प्रथमा एकवचन रूप

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गुरुनिन्दकः: a reviler of the teacher
• गुरुनिन्दकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दक (प्रातिपदिक; निन्द् धातोः ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुरोः निन्दकः)

• मत्सरी: envious
• मत्सरी: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्सरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (envious)

• क्षुद्रकीटः: a petty insect
• क्षुद्रकीटः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + कीट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (क्षुद्रः कीटः)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• परिभोक्ता: a sensual enjoyer / glutton
• परिभोक्ता: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + भुज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (तृच्/तृन्: agent noun) ‘परिभोक्ता’ = one who enjoys/consumes excessively

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृमिः: a worm
• कृमिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a speaker warns disciples; behind them appear symbolic vignettes of donkey, dog, insect, and worm—representing karmic outcomes of slander, revilement, envy, and wrongful consumption.

Characters & Entities

• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech and intent shape destiny; offenses against the guru and inner vices like envy degrade one’s spiritual and moral state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though not naming a tirtha directly, the verse functions within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it is a karmic warning describing adverse rebirths resulting from slander, insult, envy, and wrongful enjoyment.