Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन गोपनीयं निधानवत् । सुकृतं कीर्तनाद्व्यर्थं भवेद्भस्महुतं तथा

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena gopanīyaṃ nidhānavat | sukṛtaṃ kīrtanādvyarthaṃ bhavedbhasmahutaṃ tathā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് എല്ലാ ശ്രമത്താലും സുകൃതം നിധിപോലെ മറച്ചുവെക്കണം. അതിനെ പുകഴ്ത്തി പറയുമ്പോൾ അത് നിഷ്ഫലമാകും—ഭസ്മത്തിലേക്കുള്ള ആഹുതിപോലെ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूतम् (therefore/from that)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व-प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधनार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (with all effort)

• गोपनीयम्: should be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुप् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत्)
• Form: अनीय-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be concealed’

• निधानवत्: like a treasure
• निधानवत्: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निधान-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त; उपमानार्थे अव्ययवत् (like a treasure)

• सुकृतम्: merit (good deed)
• सुकृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कीर्तनात्: from (its) proclamation
• कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (from proclaiming)

• व्यर्थम्: fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्/optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भस्महुतम्: like an offering into ashes
• भस्महुतम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म-हुत (प्रातिपदिक; हु (धातु)+क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘as if offered into ashes’

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a chest of treasure locked and hidden (representing concealed merit) contrasted with a ritual fire pit filled with cold ash where a vain man drops offerings while onlookers applaud—showing futility of fame-seeking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Conceal merit to preserve its spiritual potency; boasting renders virtue ineffective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography, but the verse itself is a universal dharma teaching within the Kāśī discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of secrecy regarding one’s religious acts and charity, likened to guarding a treasure.