Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ये च शक्तिं न मन्यंते तिरस्कुर्वंति चाधमाः । योगीन्द्रा अपि ते व्यक्तं भ्रश्यंते काशिजा यथा

Transliteration

ye ca śaktiṃ na manyaṃte tiraskurvaṃti cādhamāḥ | yogīndrā api te vyaktaṃ bhraśyaṃte kāśijā yathā

Translation

Jene Niedrigen, die Śakti nicht anerkennen und sie nicht verehren, sondern sie verächtlich machen—selbst wenn man sie „Herren der Yogins“ nennt—stürzen gewiss, wie einst manche in Kāśī stürzten.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• śaktim: Śakti
• śaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• manyante: think (of), regard
• manyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tiraskurvanti: disrespect, scorn
• tiraskurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tiras-√kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• adhamāḥ: the vile ones
• adhamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhama (अधम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• yogīndrāḥ: lords among yogis
• yogīndrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (योगिन्) + indra (इन्द्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (योगिनाम् इन्द्राः = best among yogis)

• api: even, also
• api: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• vyaktam: clearly, manifestly
• vyaktam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vyakta (व्यक्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'clearly')

• bhraśyante: fall down, perish
• bhraśyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhraṃś (भ्रंश्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kāśijāḥ: the Kāśijas (people of Kāśī)
• kāśijāḥ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśijā (काशिज) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; जातिवाचक (denoting a class/people)

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Upamana-sambandha (Comparison/उपमानसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थे (comparative: 'as')

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene on the ghats of Kashi: proud ascetics/yogins disparage Devi; their yogic radiance dims and they stumble from their seat, while sincere devotees offer lamps to Devi-Shakti; the city’s sacred skyline watches silently.

Characters & Entities

• Śakti
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is undermined by contempt for the Divine Feminine; reverence is essential to sustain yogic progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi) is referenced as an illustrative setting for a cautionary example.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescription: do not disparage Śakti; maintain worshipful respect (upacāra/bhakti).