Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ये च शक्तिं न मन्यंते तिरस्कुर्वंति चाधमाः । योगीन्द्रा अपि ते व्यक्तं भ्रश्यंते काशिजा यथा

Transliteration

ye ca śaktiṃ na manyaṃte tiraskurvaṃti cādhamāḥ | yogīndrā api te vyaktaṃ bhraśyaṃte kāśijā yathā

Translation

Les êtres vils qui ne reconnaissent pas Śakti et ne l’honorent point, mais la méprisent—fussent-ils dits « seigneurs des yogin »—chutent assurément, comme certains à Kāśī jadis chutèrent.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• śaktim: Śakti
• śaktim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• manyante: think (of), regard
• manyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tiraskurvanti: disrespect, scorn
• tiraskurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tiras-√kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• adhamāḥ: the vile ones
• adhamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhama (अधम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• yogīndrāḥ: lords among yogis
• yogīndrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (योगिन्) + indra (इन्द्र) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (योगिनाम् इन्द्राः = best among yogis)

• api: even, also
• api: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• vyaktam: clearly, manifestly
• vyaktam: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vyakta (व्यक्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'clearly')

• bhraśyante: fall down, perish
• bhraśyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhraṃś (भ्रंश्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• kāśijāḥ: the Kāśijas (people of Kāśī)
• kāśijāḥ: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśijā (काशिज) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; जातिवाचक (denoting a class/people)

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Upamana-sambandha (Comparison/उपमानसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थे (comparative: 'as')

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene on the ghats of Kashi: proud ascetics/yogins disparage Devi; their yogic radiance dims and they stumble from their seat, while sincere devotees offer lamps to Devi-Shakti; the city’s sacred skyline watches silently.

Characters & Entities

• Śakti
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment is undermined by contempt for the Divine Feminine; reverence is essential to sustain yogic progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi) is referenced as an illustrative setting for a cautionary example.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescription: do not disparage Śakti; maintain worshipful respect (upacāra/bhakti).