Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अभिलप्यन्निति प्राणानत्याक्षीत्स परार्थतः । तेपि कार्पटिकाः प्राप्तास्तत्पल्लीं गतसाध्वसाः

Transliteration

abhilapyanniti prāṇānatyākṣītsa parārthataḥ | tepi kārpaṭikāḥ prāptāstatpallīṃ gatasādhvasāḥ

Translation

Speaking thus, he gave up his life for the sake of another. Those mendicants too reached that hamlet, their fear dispelled.

Word by Word

• अभिलप्यन्: uttering, speaking
• अभिलप्यन्: Karta (कर्ता) सहायक-क्रिया (पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-लप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘अभिलप्’ धातोः—‘speaking/uttering’ (present active participle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अत्याक्षीत्: abandoned, gave up
• अत्याक्षीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘अति+त्यज्’ = ‘to abandon completely’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परार्थतः: for others’ sake
• परार्थतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial), हेतौ/निमित्ते—‘for the sake of others’

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भावे अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• कार्पटिकाः: beggars, rag-wearers
• कार्पटिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• प्राप्ताः: arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘having arrived/obtained’

• तत्: his/that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival sense), एकवचन; ‘his/that’ (used as qualifier)

• पल्लीम्: hamlet, settlement
• पल्लीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गत: gone
• गत: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘gone’

• साध्वसाः: fearful, with terror
• साध्वसाः: Karta (कर्ता) विशेषण (भाववाचक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘fear/terror’ (here: ‘with fear’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narration in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate figure speaks final words and relinquishes life for another’s sake; a group of mendicants arrives at a small hamlet, their faces easing from fear into calm.

Characters & Entities

• kārpaṭika (mendicants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Giving one’s life for others (parārtha) is upheld as a dharmic pinnacle, contrasting sharply with the earlier greed-driven violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse does not name a tirtha; it remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered moral geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse implicitly praises dharmic protection and selfless conduct.