Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

इति तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य ताराक्षस्तत्पितृव्यकः । धनलोभेन पिंगाक्षे पापं पापो व्यचिंतयत्

Transliteration

iti tadvākyamākarṇya tārākṣastatpitṛvyakaḥ | dhanalobhena piṃgākṣe pāpaṃ pāpo vyaciṃtayat

Translation

यह वचन सुनकर उसके चाचा ताराक्ष ने धन के लोभ में आकर, हे पिंगाक्ष, उस पापी ने पापपूर्ण कृत्य करने का विचार किया।

Word by Word

• इति: thus; saying so
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निदर्शन/उद्धरण-समाप्ति सूचक), particle/quotative

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• वाक्यम्: speech; statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having heard’

• ताराक्षः: Tārākṣa (proper name)
• ताराक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताराक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तत्-पितृव्यकः: his paternal uncle/kinsman
• तत्-पितृव्यकः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पितृव्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘his paternal-uncle’s (son/kinsman)’/‘his paternal uncle’ (contextual)

• धन-लोभेन: through greed for wealth
• धन-लोभेन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘by greed for wealth’

• पिङ्गाक्षे: towards/with respect to Piṅgākṣa
• पिङ्गाक्षे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; संबोधन/स्थान-निर्देशे ‘in/with regard to Piṅgākṣa’

• पापम्: sin; evil (plan)
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पापः: the wicked one
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the subject)

• व्यचिन्तयत्: thought; devised
• व्यचिन्तयत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya frame, typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shadowed interior court in Kāśī: Tārākṣa listens, eyes narrowed with greed; behind him, chests of wealth and a dim oil-lamp; the victim and mendicants implied in the background as moral contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Tārākṣa
• Piṅgākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed (dhana-lobha) clouds discernment and becomes the seed of pāpa, leading one toward destructive choices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework (Kāśī/Varanasi), though this specific line focuses on character and karma rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the shloka is narrative and ethical, describing the arising of sinful intent.