Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्वरूपतो ब्राह्मणत्वादपाकर्तुं न शक्यते । अथ शक्तो व्यपाकर्तुं कः पुण्ये संचिकीर्षति

Transliteration

svarūpato brāhmaṇatvādapākartuṃ na śakyate | atha śakto vyapākartuṃ kaḥ puṇye saṃcikīrṣati

Translation

Por la propia naturaleza, la condición de brāhmaṇa no puede desecharse. Y aun si alguien pudiera desecharla, ¿quién querría hacerlo en un lugar de mérito, colmado de puṇya?

Word by Word

• स्वरूपतः: by nature, essentially
• स्वरूपतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘by nature/in essence’

• ब्राह्मणत्वात्: from (his) brahminhood
• ब्राह्मणत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ—‘from/owing to brahminhood’

• अपाकर्तुम्: to remove
• अपाकर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-आ-√कृ (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); ‘to remove/undo’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• शक्यते: is possible
• शक्यते: Kriya (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘it is possible’

• अथ: then, further
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/पुनरुक्ति (then/and further)

• शक्तः: able
• शक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त/√शक् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘able’ (विशेषणम् ‘कः’)

• व्यपाकर्तुम्: to remove (entirely)
• व्यपाकर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अप-आ-√कृ (धातु) + तुमुन्
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); ‘to remove completely/drive away’

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Interrogative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• पुण्ये: in merit, in a meritorious matter
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणे—‘in/with regard to merit’

• संचिकीर्षति: wishes to do/undertake
• संचिकीर्षति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √कृ (धातु) + सन् (desiderative)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सन्नन्त (desiderative)—‘desires to do’

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (puṇya-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: Brahmā’s statement is visualized as a steady brāhmaṇa ideal—calm posture, sacred thread, Vedic aura—set within Kāśī’s sanctified atmosphere, suggesting dharma as intrinsic nature.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied as puṇya-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places intensify responsibility: one should not abandon dharmic identity or duty, especially in a puṇya-kṣetra like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the “puṇya” setting where abandoning dharma would be unthinkable.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on dharmic identity and intention rather than a specific rite.