Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मतेजःसमुद्भूत साध्वसः साधुस त्क्रियः । कठिनोपि परित्यज्य धत्ते मृदुलतां किल

Transliteration

brahmatejaḥsamudbhūta sādhvasaḥ sādhusa tkriyaḥ | kaṭhinopi parityajya dhatte mṛdulatāṃ kila

Translation

Par la crainte sacrée née du brahma-tejas et par le noble devoir d’honorer le sādhu, même ce qui est dur, rejetant sa rudesse, devient vraiment douceur.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मतेजःसमुद्भूत: arisen from Brahma’s splendor
• ब्रह्मतेजःसमुद्भूत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-तेजस्-समुद्भूत (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + तेजस् + समुद्भूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• साध्वसः: fear / awe
• साध्वसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता/भाव (neut. nom. sg.)

• साधु: well / good
• साधु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रशंसार्थक अव्यय (approbative particle: ‘well!’)

• सत्क्रियः: proper conduct / respectful reception
• सत्क्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + क्रिया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता (fem. nom. sg.)

• कठिनः: hard / harsh
• कठिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कठिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवाद/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (even/also)

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु; त्यागे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• धत्ते: assumes / takes on
• धत्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु; धारणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘assumes/bears’

• मृदुलताम्: softness / gentleness
• मृदुलताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदुल-ता (प्रातिपदिक; मृदुल + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (fem. acc. sg.)

• किल: indeed / it is said
• किल: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: ख्यात्यर्थक/श्रुत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative/hearsay particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the mountain’s rocky face appears to relax and become gentle, as if bowing; Nārada’s luminous presence inspires reverent awe, and the scene conveys softness replacing hardness.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhu (saint)
• Brahma-tejas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for realized beings and proper hospitality (satkāra) refine character—spiritual power softens even the कठोर (hard) nature.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī’s sanctified milieu, where saintly presence and dharmic conduct are naturally magnified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satkriyā/satkāra—proper honoring and reception of sādhus—is upheld as a dharmic imperative.