Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

सदाचारविनिर्मुक्ताः सत्यशौचपराङ्मुखाः । मायया दंभलोभाभ्यां मोहाहंकृतिसंयुताः

Transliteration

sadācāravinirmuktāḥ satyaśaucaparāṅmukhāḥ | māyayā daṃbhalobhābhyāṃ mohāhaṃkṛtisaṃyutāḥ

Translation

वे सदाचार से रहित, सत्य और पवित्रता से विमुख, माया के कारण दंभ और लोभ से ग्रस्त तथा मोह और अहंकार से युक्त होंगे।

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.