Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

उदाहरंति ये मूढाः कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः । काश्यां सर्वेर्थवादोयं ते विट्कीटा युगेयुगे

Transliteration

udāharaṃti ye mūḍhāḥ kutarkabaladarpitāḥ | kāśyāṃ sarverthavādoyaṃ te viṭkīṭā yugeyuge

Translation

Jene Toren, aufgeblasen durch die Kraft verdrehter Schlussgründe, die dies über Kāśī als «bloße Übertreibung» anführen, sind Mistkäfer, Zeitalter um Zeitalter.

Word by Word

• उदाहरन्ति: they cite, they bring up (as an example)
• उदाहरन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-√हृ (धातु; हृञ्—हरणे)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मूढाः: fools, deluded ones
• मूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; √मुह्—मोहने से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः: puffed up by the strength of bad reasoning
• कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुतर्क-बल-दर्पित (प्रातिपदिक; कुतर्क + बल + दर्पित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying ‘ये/मूढाः’)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वार्थवादः: the doctrine that ‘everything is (true/meaningful)’ (sarvārthavāda)
• सर्वार्थवादः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वार्थवाद (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अर्थ + वाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Correlative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: they, those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विट्कीटाः: worms and insects (vermin)
• विट्कीटाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विट्कीट (प्रातिपदिक; विट् + कीट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• युगे: in an age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगे: in (each) age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular) (पुनरुक्ति: distributive sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of sages/pilgrims (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a reciter-sage proclaiming Kāśī’s glory, while arrogant debaters scoff; the scoffers are symbolically shown as dung-insects near refuse, contrasted with radiant pilgrims and temple lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disparaging the sanctity of Kāśī as ‘mere praise’ is spiritually degrading; reverence protects dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a uniquely praised and efficacious sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a warning against nāstika-style contempt and hostile criticism.