Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

शिवनिंदारतो मूढः शिवशास्त्रविनिंदकः । तस्य नो निष्कृतिर्दृष्टा क्वापि शास्त्रेपि केनचित्

Transliteration

śivaniṃdārato mūḍhaḥ śivaśāstraviniṃdakaḥ | tasya no niṣkṛtirdṛṣṭā kvāpi śāstrepi kenacit

Translation

But the deluded person who delights in reviling Śiva and disparages Śiva’s scriptures—no expiation for him is seen anywhere, by anyone, in any śāstra.

Word by Word

• शिवनिंदारतः: engaged in reviling Śiva
• शिवनिंदारतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + निंदा (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक; √रम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (शिवनिंदायां रतः = engaged in reviling Śiva)

• मूढः: a deluded person
• मूढः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक; √मुह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण-रूपेण नामवत् (deluded)

• शिवशास्त्रविनिंदकः: reviler of Śiva’s scriptures
• शिवशास्त्रविनिंदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विनिंदक (प्रातिपदिक; वि-√निन्द् (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य शास्त्रस्य विनिंदकः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• उ: indeed/at all
• उ: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/पादपूरण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• निष्कृतिः: expiation
• निष्कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्टा: is seen/found
• दृष्टा: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावे 'has been seen/found' (past passive participle used predicatively)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: 'where')

• अपि: even/any
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात; क्वापि = 'anywhere'

• शास्त्रे: in scripture
• शास्त्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite: 'by anyone')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure with mocking posture points at Śiva and a palm-leaf śāstra; the scene is framed by a stern, protective aura around the liṅga, indicating an inviolable boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-nindā and contempt for Śaiva teaching are treated as grave aparādha, beyond ordinary expiations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa framework, reinforcing Kāśī’s dharmic discipline centered on Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the absence of recognized prāyaścitta for persistent Śiva-nindā.