Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

प्रोचुर्भूरिधनं चैतज्जीर्यत्यस्मिन्न जीवति । असौ धनी प्रयत्नेन वध्यः सपरिचारकः

Transliteration

procurbhūridhanaṃ caitajjīryatyasminna jīvati | asau dhanī prayatnena vadhyaḥ saparicārakaḥ

Translation

Sie sagten: „Dies ist überreicher Besitz; bleibt dieser Mann am Leben, wird er uns entgehen. Jener Reiche muss ohne Fehl getötet werden—zusammen mit seinem Diener.“

Word by Word

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूरिधनम्: much wealth
• भूरिधनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘बहु धनम्’ इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘भूरिधनम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/निर्देशक

• जीर्यति: decays/perishes
• जीर्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अस्मिन्: in this (man)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• जीवति: lives
• जीवति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धनी: wealthy
• धनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धनवान्’ इति विशेषण

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort / deliberately
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वध्यः: to be killed / killable
• वध्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त/भाव्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाव्य/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (to be killed)

• सपरिचारकः: together with his attendants
• सपरिचारकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + परिचारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘परिचारकसहितः’ (with attendants) इति विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Thieves huddle in a grim council, counting loot; one points toward the captive and attendant, signaling execution to secure the stolen wealth.

Characters & Entities

• Thieves (taskara, implied)
• Attendant (paricāraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed escalates into lethal adharma; when wealth becomes the goal, compassion and restraint collapse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised implicitly as a dharmic refuge; the story’s darkness intensifies after the protagonist leaves it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records an adharma-driven decision, serving as a warning.