Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

परपीडाकरं कर्म काश्यां नित्यं विवर्जयेत् । तदेव चेत्किमत्र स्यात्काशीवासो दुरात्मनाम्

Transliteration

parapīḍākaraṃ karma kāśyāṃ nityaṃ vivarjayet | tadeva cetkimatra syātkāśīvāso durātmanām

Translation

കാശിയിൽ മറ്റുള്ളവർക്കു പീഡ ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്ന കർമ്മം നിത്യവും ഒഴിവാക്കണം. ഇവിടെ തന്നേ അതേ പീഡ ചെയ്താൽ, ദുരാത്മാക്കൾക്ക് കാശീവാസം എന്തു ഫലം നൽകും?

Word by Word

• parapīḍākaram: causing harm to others
• parapīḍākaram: Karma-visheshana (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para + pīḍā + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य पीडां करोति इति)

• karma: deed/action
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• kāśyām: in Kāśī
• kāśyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• vivarjayet: should avoid
• vivarjayet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√vṛj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• kim: what
• kim: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• kāśīvāsaḥ: dwelling in Kāśī
• kāśīvāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्यां वासः)

• durātmanām: of evil-minded people
• durātmanām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुरात्मा)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a Kāśī lane near the ghats, a would-be resident raises a hand to harm another, but the looming presence of Śiva’s city—temple spire, trident banner, and the calm Gaṅgā—casts a moral spotlight; the aggressor’s shadow appears distorted, suggesting inner wickedness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The fruits of sacred residence depend on dharma; harming others cancels the purpose of living in Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as a dharma-sensitive mokṣa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear behavioral prescription: avoid para-pīḍā (causing harm) while in Kāśī.