Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सदाचारविनिर्मुक्ताः सत्यशौचपराङ्मुखाः । मायया दंभलोभाभ्यां मोहाहंकृतिसंयुताः

Transliteration

sadācāravinirmuktāḥ satyaśaucaparāṅmukhāḥ | māyayā daṃbhalobhābhyāṃ mohāhaṃkṛtisaṃyutāḥ

Translation

Ils sont dépourvus de bonne conduite, détournés de la vérité et de la pureté ; par la māyā ils s’attachent à l’hypocrisie et à l’avidité, et se trouvent liés à l’illusion et à l’orgueil du moi.

Word by Word

• सदाचारविनिर्मुक्ताः: devoid of good conduct
• सदाचारविनिर्मुक्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदाचार + विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √मुच् with वि-निर्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः (सदाचारात् विनिर्मुक्ताः = freed from good conduct)

• सत्यशौचपराङ्मुखाः: turned away from truth and purity
• सत्यशौचपराङ्मुखाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + शौच + पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सत्यशौचयोः पराङ्मुखाः = turned away from truth and purity)

• मायया: by illusion
• मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• दंभलोभाभ्याम्: by hypocrisy and greed
• दंभलोभाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंभ + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (दंभः च लोभः च)

• मोहाहंकृतिसंयुताः: endowed with delusion and egoism
• मोहाहंकृतिसंयुताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोह + अहंकृति + संयुत (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् with सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; तत्पुरुषः (मोहाहंकृतिभ्यां संयुताः = endowed with delusion and egoism)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; descriptive continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or immediate Kāśīkhaṇḍa interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: pilgrims near a sacred shrine, but shadow-figures of hypocrisy and greed cling to them; a contrasting figure embodies satya-śauca with clear light around him; the temple remains radiant, inviting reform.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is eroded by hypocrisy, greed, and ego; truth and purity are presented as essential virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the surrounding Kāśī Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a moral diagnosis preparing for the remedy offered by the Kāśī shrine.