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

Par sa nature même, l’état de brāhmaṇa ne peut être écarté. Et quand bien même quelqu’un le pourrait, qui voudrait l’abandonner en un lieu de mérite, empli 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.