Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

इति विंध्यवचः श्रुत्वा नारदोऽचिन्तयद्धृदि । अखर्वगर्वसंसर्गो न महत्त्वाय कल्पते

Transliteration

iti viṃdhyavacaḥ śrutvā nārado'cintayaddhṛdi | akharvagarvasaṃsargo na mahattvāya kalpate

Translation

Entendant ces paroles de Vindhya, Nārada réfléchit en son cœur : «La fréquentation d’un orgueil inflexible ne mène jamais à la vraie grandeur».

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विंध्यवचः: the words of Vindhya
• विंध्यवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंध्य-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विंध्यस्य वचः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अचिन्तयत्: thought; reflected
• अचिन्तयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हृदि: in (his) heart/mind
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• अखर्वगर्वसंसर्गः: association with unrestrained pride
• अखर्वगर्वसंसर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-खर्व-गर्व-संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (अखर्वः गर्वः यस्य/अखर्वगर्वः; तस्य संसर्गः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• महत्त्वाय: for greatness
• महत्त्वाय: Sampradana (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case), एकवचन

• कल्पते: is fit/suitable; leads to
• कल्पते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame); Nārada’s internal reflection is quoted

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the sages (frame); within the story, Nārada is the hearer of Vindhya’s words

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, holding his vīṇā, pauses in thoughtful silence after hearing Vindhya; Vindhya looms in the background, slightly darkened to suggest pride; a calm light falls on Nārada’s face indicating discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unyielding pride blocks spiritual growth; greatness arises from humility, discipline, and receptive guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it provides the ethical pivot in a narrative housed within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a teaching on character and association (saṅga).