Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

भ्रष्टशौचवताचारे विप्रे वेदविवर्जिते । रोदित्यन्नं दीयमानं किं मया दुष्कृतं कृतम्

Transliteration

bhraṣṭaśaucavatācāre vipre vedavivarjite | rodityannaṃ dīyamānaṃ kiṃ mayā duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam

Translation

जो ब्राह्मण शौच, व्रत और सदाचार से भ्रष्ट हो तथा वेदाध्ययन से रहित हो, उसे अन्न दिया जाए तो वह अन्न मानो रोता है—‘मैंने कौन-सा पाप किया?’

Word by Word

• भ्रष्ट-शौच-व्रत-आचारे: in one fallen from purity, vows, and conduct
• भ्रष्ट-शौच-व्रत-आचारे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhraṣṭa + śauca + vrata + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण; शौच-व्रत-आचारात् भ्रष्टे (in one fallen from purity, vows, and conduct)

• विप्रे: in/for a Brahmin
• विप्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• वेद-विवर्जिते: devoid of Vedic learning
• वेद-विवर्जिते: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: veda + vivarjita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण; वेदेन विवर्जिते (devoid of Veda)

• रोदिति: cries
• रोदिति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: rud (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• दीयमानम्: being given
• दीयमानम्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/यमान-प्रत्यय (Present passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि; ‘being given’

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन (1st person pronoun, Instrumental, Singular)

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed/sin
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (Past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘done’ (elliptic: ‘has been done’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn feeding scene: a disheveled or morally ‘fallen’ priest receives food; the offered rice is personified with tear-like droplets; the giver looks conflicted, highlighting the ethical-ritual dilemma.

Characters & Entities

• vipra
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be guided by discernment; giving without regard to dharmic fitness can diminish the sanctity of the gift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting, but the verse is primarily about dāna-dharma and the worthiness of recipients.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution in anna-dāna: avoid offering food in a ritual/charitable context to a ‘vipra’ who is fallen from śauca, vrata, ācāra, and Vedic discipline.