Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अशास्त्रवर्तिनो भूपाल्लुब्धात्कृत्वा प्रतिग्रहम् । ब्राह्मणः सान्वयो याति नरकानेकविंशतिम्

Transliteration

aśāstravartino bhūpāllubdhātkṛtvā pratigraham | brāhmaṇaḥ sānvayo yāti narakānekaviṃśatim

Translation

ശാസ്ത്രവിരുദ്ധമായി പെരുമാറുന്ന ലാഭിയായ രാജാവിൽ നിന്ന് ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ, വംശസഹിതം ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് നരകങ്ങളിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अशास्त्रवर्तिनः: of one who does not follow scripture
• अशास्त्रवर्तिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रे न वर्तते इति)

• भूपालात्: from a king
• भूपालात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• लुब्धात्: greedy
• लुब्धात्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of source/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक; √लुभ् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, विशेषणम् (भूपालात्)

• कृत्वा: having done/taken
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• प्रतिग्रहम्: acceptance (of a gift)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; √ग्रह् + घञ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सान्वयः: together with his lineage/family
• सान्वयः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अन्वयेन सह)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (एकं च विंशतिः) संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (नरकान्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a greedy king offers a heavy gift; a brāhmaṇa hesitates; behind them, a shadowy vision of narakas as a cautionary backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
• King (bhūpāla)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and patronage must be ethically sourced; unrighteous wealth harms both recipient and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s conduct-teachings; it is not a localized tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid accepting gifts (pratigraha) from greedy rulers who do not follow śāstra.