Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

न तेन सदृशः कश्चिदाक्षिको भूमिमंडले । अद्य यावत्त्वया विप्र दुरोदरशिरोमणिः

Transliteration

na tena sadṛśaḥ kaścidākṣiko bhūmimaṃḍale | adya yāvattvayā vipra durodaraśiromaṇiḥ

Translation

“On the face of the earth there is no dice-player equal to him. Up to this very day, O brāhmaṇa, he is the crest-jewel among gamblers.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तेन: with him / than him
• तेन: Upamana/Comparison (तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तुलनायाम् (instrumental of comparison)

• सदृशः: equal, similar
• सदृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कश्चित् इति विशेषणम्

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: someone)

• आक्षिकः: dice-player, gambler
• आक्षिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अक्षैः क्रीडति इति (gambler)

• भूमिमण्डले: in the world, on the earth-sphere
• भूमिमण्डले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• यावत्: as much as, so far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (as much as/so long as)

• त्वया: by you / than you
• त्वया: Upamana/Comparison (तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तुलनायाम्/सह (by you/than you)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• दुरोदर-शिरोमणिः: the foremost of gamblers
• दुरोदर-शिरोमणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरोदर (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘दुरोदराणां शिरोमणिः’ (chief among gamblers)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker addresses a brāhmaṇa, pointing toward a famed dice-player; the gambler is depicted with confident posture amid a dice-circle, while the brāhmaṇa’s calm gaze suggests moral evaluation.

Characters & Entities

• ākṣika (dice-player)
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• durodara (gambler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly ‘excellence’ in adharma is still disgrace—skill in vice is not a virtue but a deeper fall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context keeps Kāśī in view, presenting moral exemplars and warnings for those living in or visiting the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.