Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

ये निंदंति महादेवं क्षेत्रं निंदंति येऽधियः । पुराणं ये च निंदंति ते संभाष्या न कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

ye niṃdaṃti mahādevaṃ kṣetraṃ niṃdaṃti ye'dhiyaḥ | purāṇaṃ ye ca niṃdaṃti te saṃbhāṣyā na kutracit

Translation

Wer Mahādeva schmäht, wer in verblendetem Sinn das heilige Kṣetra (Kāśī) schmäht, und wer das Purāṇa schmäht—mit solchen Menschen soll man nirgends ein Gespräch führen.

Word by Word

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

• निन्दन्ति: criticize, revile
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + देवः (महादेवः)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निन्दन्ति: criticize
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• अधियः: (their) understandings/intellects
• अधियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अधि’ = बुद्धि/समझ (contextual)

• पुराणम्: the Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निन्दन्ति: criticize
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• सम्भाष्याः: to be spoken with / fit to be conversed with
• सम्भाष्याः: Vidhyartha (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भाष् (धातु) → सम्भाष्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निषेधेन ‘न सम्भाष्याः’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya / pilgrims of Kāśī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Kāśī: a sage instructs disciples to avoid conversing with blasphemers; in the background rise Viśvanātha’s spires and the Gaṅgā ghāṭas, symbolizing the sanctity being defended.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guard one’s speech and association: blasphemy of Śiva, Kāśī, and scripture is treated as a grave adharma to be avoided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra (Vārāṇasī), revered as a supremely sacred field connected with Mahādeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse gives an ethical injunction about avoiding conversation/association with blasphemers.