Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सर्वत्र लघुता हेतुमहंकारं विहाय च । दूषणारोपणे यत्नं कुर्वाणं सज्जनेष्वपि

Transliteration

sarvatra laghutā hetumahaṃkāraṃ vihāya ca | dūṣaṇāropaṇe yatnaṃ kurvāṇaṃ sajjaneṣvapi

Translation

Rejetant l’ego—cause de bassesse en tout lieu—ne t’applique pas à imputer des fautes, même parmi les gens vertueux.

Word by Word

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• लघुताम्: lightness, triviality, meanness
• लघुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• हेतुम्: cause
• हेतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• अहंकारम्: egoism, pride
• अहंकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• विहाय: having given up
• विहाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having abandoned’; from √हा with उपसर्ग वि

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• दूषण-आरोपणे: in imputing blame
• दूषण-आरोपणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूषण (प्रातिपदिक) + आरोपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी) ‘दूषणस्य आरोपणम्’

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• कुर्वाणम्: doing, making
• कुर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (परस्मैपदी), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle ‘doing/making’; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सज्जनेषु: among good people
• सज्जनेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Plural

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ) — particle

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija addressee / pilgrim-audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of pilgrims at a Kāśī ghat: one points accusingly, while another bows to a saint; the accusatory figure’s shadow is shaped like ‘ahaṅkāra,’ contrasted with a luminous aura around the humble pilgrim.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Renounce ego and the habit of fault-finding; respect for the virtuous is a pillar of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s instruction section; it supports the spiritual culture that makes Kāśī a dharma-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is specified; it prescribes inner conduct: humility and restraint in speech/judgment.