Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

दंदशूकैर्भृशं दष्टो दुष्टः शिष्टैर्विगर्हितः । काष्ठेष्टलोष्टैः पापिष्ठः कृतानिष्टः सदात्मनः

Transliteration

daṃdaśūkairbhṛśaṃ daṣṭo duṣṭaḥ śiṣṭairvigarhitaḥ | kāṣṭheṣṭaloṣṭaiḥ pāpiṣṭhaḥ kṛtāniṣṭaḥ sadātmanaḥ

Translation

Badly bitten by serpents, vile and censured by the virtuous, this most sinful one—ever harmful to the good—was struck with sticks, potsherds, and clods of earth.

Word by Word

• दंदशूकैः: by snakes
• दंदशूकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंदशूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• भृशम्: severely
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• दष्टः: bitten
• दष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंश् (धातु) → दष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टः: wicked
• दुष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिष्टैः: by the virtuous/learned
• शिष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘शिष्ट’ = सज्जन/विद्वांस्

• विगर्हितः: reviled / censured
• विगर्हितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + गर्ह् (धातु) → विगर्हित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• काष्ठेष्टलोष्टैः: with sticks, bricks, and clods
• काष्ठेष्टलोष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ + इष्टका + लोष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—काष्ठ-इष्टका-लोष्ट (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• पापिष्ठः: most sinful
• पापिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)

• कृतानिष्टः: one who has done harm
• कृतानिष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + अनिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कृतम् अनिष्टं येन (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः)

• सदात्मनः: of the good people
• सदात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—सताम् आत्मानः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sinner beset by serpents and pelted with sticks, potsherds, and clods, while virtuous elders point in censure—an image of karmic and communal correction.

Characters & Entities

• daṃdaśūka
• śiṣṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent harm to the righteous invites both karmic suffering and public censure, isolating the wrongdoer from dharmic society.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it supports the moral arc within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of consequences and condemnation.