Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

विनीतो नीतिसंपन्नः कुशलः सर्वकर्मसु । विद्याब्धिपारदृश्वा च गुणवान्गुणिवत्सलः

Transliteration

vinīto nītisaṃpannaḥ kuśalaḥ sarvakarmasu | vidyābdhipāradṛśvā ca guṇavānguṇivatsalaḥ

Translation

Er war demütig, reich an rechter Lebensführung und kundig in jedem Werk. Da er das ferne Ufer des Ozeans des Wissens erblickt hatte, war er tugendhaft und stets den Tugendhaften zugetan.

Word by Word

• विनीतः: well-disciplined, humble
• विनीतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नी (धातु) → विनीत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• नीतिसंपन्नः: endowed with good conduct/policy
• नीतिसंपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीति (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नीतेः संपन्नः = endowed with policy/ethics)

• कुशलः: skilled, competent
• कुशलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all actions/works
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-तत्पुरुष (सर्वाणि कर्माणि)

• विद्याब्धिपारदृश्वा: having reached/seen the far shore of the ocean of knowledge
• विद्याब्धिपारदृश्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + पार (प्रातिपदिक) + दृश् (धातु) → दृश्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); समासपूर्वक-प्रयोगः (विद्या-अब्धि-पारं दृष्ट्वा = having seen the far shore of the ocean of knowledge)

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

• गुणवान्: virtuous, possessing qualities
• गुणवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective)

• गुणिवत्सलः: affectionate to the virtuous
• गुणिवत्सलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुणिनां वत्सलः = affectionate to the virtuous)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble figure in Kāśī is depicted as humble and composed, surrounded by learned elders and virtuous people; the Gaṅgā and temple spires suggest the city’s sanctity while the hero’s demeanor conveys disciplined learning and affection for the good.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness is shown through humility, ethical conduct, mastery of knowledge, and reverence for the virtuous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as character-praise within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative; Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the overarching sacred setting, though no single tirtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes dharmic qualities rather than a specific vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa.