Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विभोरपि समाज्ञेयं धर्मवर्त्मानुसारिणि । न किंचिदपकर्तव्यं जानता केनचित्क्वचित

Transliteration

vibhorapi samājñeyaṃ dharmavartmānusāriṇi | na kiṃcidapakartavyaṃ jānatā kenacitkvacita

Translation

Selbst der Mächtige soll erkennen, was sich ziemt, wenn er dem Pfad des Dharma folgt. Wer dies weiß, darf nirgends und niemals auch nur die geringste schädigende Tat begehen.

Word by Word

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• समाज्ञेयम्: should be understood
• समाज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Predicate obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√ज्ञा (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ण्यत्/यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be known/should be understood’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः

• धर्म-वर्त्म-अनुसारिणि: in (a person) following the path of dharma
• धर्म-वर्त्म-अनुसारिणि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुसारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘धर्मस्य वर्त्म (मार्गः) तदनुसारिणि’ (in one who follows the path of dharma); अधिकरणे

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object-quantifier/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; अल्पपरिमाण (anything at all)

• अपकर्तव्यम्: should not be harmed/done wrongly
• अपकर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-√कृ (धातु) + तव्यत्
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not to be done as harm/should not be wronged’

• जानता: by one who knows
• जानता: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr./करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by one who knows’

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite pronoun)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चित (adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: Śiva’s calm authority and Brahmā’s assent frame a moral maxim; imagery can show a powerful figure lowering weapons/ego, symbolizing that might bows to dharma, with Kāśī’s sacred skyline behind.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (principle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power does not excuse adharma; true knowledge expresses itself as non-harm and disciplined righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is framed within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse; the implied setting is the dharmic atmosphere of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a universal dharma instruction: avoid wrongdoing and harm everywhere.