Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

अथवा वारिता भिक्षा केनाप्यस्मासु चेर्ष्यया । पुरौकसोभवन्दुस्थास्तूपसर्गेण केनचित्

Transliteration

athavā vāritā bhikṣā kenāpyasmāsu cerṣyayā | puraukasobhavandusthāstūpasargeṇa kenacit

Translation

Oder hat jemand aus Neid auf uns das Almosengeben verhindert; oder sind die Stadtbewohner durch irgendein Unheil bedrängt worden.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-समुच्चय/विकल्प (disjunctive particle: “or/else”)

• वारिता: forbidden
• वारिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि (√वृ/√वार्) (धातु) → वारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “वारिता” = निषिद्धा/प्रतिषिद्धा (forbidden)

• भिक्षा: alms
• भिक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• केन: by someone
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: “by whom/with what”)

• अपि: even / somehow
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/सम्भावना/अपि-शब्द (enclitic: “even/also/somehow”)

• अस्मासु: among us
• अस्मासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative: “among/in us”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: “and”)

• ईर्ष्यया: through jealousy
• ईर्ष्यया: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: “out of jealousy”)

• पुरौकसः: the city-dwellers
• पुरौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुरे ओकः यस्य/पुरे वसति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अभवन्: became
• अभवन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुःस्थाः: distressed
• दुःस्थाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ill-at-ease/distressed)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• उपसर्गेण: by an affliction
• उपसर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: “by/through an affliction”)

• केनचित्: by someone (unspecified)
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-प्रश्नसर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (instrumental: “by someone or other”)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame) / disciples and guru (inner narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small group of ascetics in Kāśī, concerned that alms have been stopped; townspeople in the background appear troubled, suggesting an unseen ‘upasarga’.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kāśī townspeople (puraukasaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Envy and collective suffering can hinder charity; dharma thrives when hearts are free from īrṣyā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred city whose social life frames the māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse discusses possible obstructions to the practice of giving alms.