Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अज्ञात्वा लोभवशतस्तेन नीतोऽस्थिसंपुटः । तस्यैष दोषो नो भद्रे मातुर्मे कर्म तादृशम्

Transliteration

ajñātvā lobhavaśatastena nīto'sthisaṃpuṭaḥ | tasyaiṣa doṣo no bhadre māturme karma tādṛśam

Translation

അതിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ സ്വഭാവം അറിയാതെ, ലോഭവശനായി അവൻ അസ്ഥിസമ്പുടം എടുത്തുകൊണ്ടുപോയി. ഹേ ഭദ്രേ, ദോഷം അവനുടേതു മാത്രം; എന്റെ മാതാവിന്റേതല്ല—അവളുടെ കർമ്മം അത്തരമല്ല.

Word by Word

• अज्ञात्वा: not knowing, without realizing
• अज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + अ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘अ-’ उपसर्गयुक्त धातु √ज्ञा

• लोभ-वशतः: due to the sway of greed
• लोभ-वशतः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘लोभस्य वशः’ → ‘लोभवशः’, तस्मात् (abl.)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• नीतः: was led/taken
• नीतः: Karma (Patient) / Predicate participle
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; √नी (to lead)

• अस्थि-संपुटः: the bone-casket/box of bones
• अस्थि-संपुटः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक) + संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता-स्थाने), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अस्थ्नां संपुटः’

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दोषः: fault, blame
• दोषः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) बहुवचन (enclitic)

• भद्रे: O good lady
• भद्रे: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• मातुः: of (my) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (enclitic)

• कर्म: deed, action
• कर्म: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तादृशम्: such, of that kind
• तादृशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Narrative voice (Skanda relating to Agastya; speaker within the story: the son defending the mother)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful man speaks to Bhillī, defending his mother’s innocence while referencing a stolen bone-casket; the mood is tense and penitential.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
• vanecara (forest-dweller, implied in surrounding verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed clouds discernment; blame belongs to the one who acts wrongly, not to the innocent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, framing the episode within Kāśī’s sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; it focuses on moral accountability.