Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पुरा कलिंगविषये द्विजो लवणविक्रयी । संध्यास्नानविहीनश्च वेदाक्षरविवर्जितः

Transliteration

purā kaliṃgaviṣaye dvijo lavaṇavikrayī | saṃdhyāsnānavihīnaśca vedākṣaravivarjitaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, au pays de Kaliṅga, vivait un deux-fois-né qui gagnait sa vie en vendant du sel. Il était privé du culte quotidien de la sandhyā et du bain rituel, et il avait même délaissé la récitation des syllabes védiques.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/once)

• कलिङ्गविषये: in the region of Kaliṅga
• कलिङ्गविषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिङ्गविषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कलिङ्ग + विषय (तत्पुरुष)

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लवणविक्रयी: a seller of salt
• लवणविक्रयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—लवणस्य विक्रयी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• संध्यास्नानविहीनः: devoid of twilight-bath (daily rites)
• संध्यास्नानविहीनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संध्या + स्नान + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—संध्यास्नानात् विहीनः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• वेदाक्षरविवर्जितः: deprived of Vedic syllables (Vedic learning)
• वेदाक्षरविवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + अक्षर + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—वेदाक्षरैः विवर्जितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Maheśvara (Śiva) (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor dvija in Kaliṅga selling salt in a marketplace, outwardly marked by sacred thread yet inwardly neglecting sandhyā and Vedic recitation; a moral contrast between external sign and inner practice.

Characters & Entities

• Kaliṅga
• Vāhīka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Birth-status without daily dharma (sandhyā, snāna, Vedic study) becomes spiritually hollow; conduct, not label, safeguards merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as moral background within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s larger sacred-geography teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā observance and regular snāna (ritual bathing), along with Vedic recitation/study, are highlighted by contrast as neglected duties.