Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

विहाय मातरं चैकां सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम । तदाशिषमपि प्राज्ञस्त्यजेदाशीविषोपमाम

Transliteration

vihāya mātaraṃ caikāṃ sarvamaṃgalavarjitāma | tadāśiṣamapi prājñastyajedāśīviṣopamāma

Translation

Außer der einen Mutter, die ehrfürchtig auszunehmen ist, soll der Weise selbst den Segen dessen verwerfen, der alles Glücksverheißende entbehrt, und ihn wie eine giftige Schlange betrachten.

Word by Word

• विहाय: leaving aside/excepting
• विहाय: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि- (उपसर्ग) + हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund): ‘having abandoned/excepting’

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकाम्: one/only
• एकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘one/only’ (qualifying मातरम्)

• सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम्: devoid of all auspiciousness
• सर्वमंगलवर्जिताम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘सर्वेषां मङ्गलानां वर्जिता’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश (that)

• आशिषम्: blessing
• आशिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• प्राज्ञः: a wise person
• प्राज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• आशीविषोपमाम्: like a venomous snake
• आशीविषोपमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष (प्रातिपदिक) + उपमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘आशीविषस्य उपमा’ (like a venomous snake)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise person respectfully receives the mother’s blessing while declining another blessing, depicted symbolically as a serpent near the rejected hand to match ‘āśīviṣopamā’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It prioritizes filial reverence to the mother while presenting a strict, omen-centered caution regarding ‘inauspicious’ associations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No individual tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s ethical instruction stream.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite; it discusses accepting or rejecting āśīḥ (blessings) as a matter of conduct.