Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

हित्वा मोहं महाद्रोहरोपणं मतिघातिनम् । अत्यंतमंधीकरणमंधतामिस्रदर्शकम्

Transliteration

hitvā mohaṃ mahādroharopaṇaṃ matighātinam | atyaṃtamaṃdhīkaraṇamaṃdhatāmisradarśakam

Translation

മോഹം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം; അത് മഹാദ്രോഹം നട്ടുവളർത്തുന്നു, വിവേകം കൊല്ലുന്നു, ബുദ്ധിയെ അത്യന്തം മന്ദമാക്കുന്നു, അന്ധഅജ്ഞാനത്തിന്റെ ഇരുട്ടേ കാണിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) — gerund ‘having abandoned’; from √हा

• मोहम्: delusion
• मोहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• महा-द्रोह-रोपणम्: planting/instilling great treachery
• महा-द्रोह-रोपणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक) + रोपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष ‘महान् द्रोहः’ (कर्मधारय-भाव) + ‘द्रोहस्य रोपणम्’ (षष्ठी)

• मति-घातिनम्: mind-destroying
• मति-घातिनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक) + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष ‘मतिं घातयति’ (upapada/कर्म-तत्पुरुष)

• अत्यन्त-मन्धीकरण-मन्धतामिस्र-दर्शकम्: showing the utterly blinding darkness
• अत्यन्त-मन्धीकरण-मन्धतामिस्र-दर्शकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + मन्धीकरण (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्ध-तामिस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समासः: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव) ‘अत्यन्तं मन्धीकरणं’ + ‘मन्धतामिस्रं दर्शयति’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija addressee / pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lamp-lit corridor leading to a Śiva shrine; a pilgrim steps away from a swirling black fog labeled ‘moha’ that tries to cover the lamp of discernment; the fog contains faint images of betrayal and confusion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Moha destroys discrimination and leads to harmful actions; spiritual life requires clarity and freedom from delusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is ethical-philosophical; within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa it functions as preparation for receiving Kāśī’s liberating teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is stated; the prescription is inner renunciation of delusion through discernment.