Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

अनायुष्यकरं चैव परदारोपसर्पणम् । तस्मात्तद्दूरतस्त्याज्यं वैरिणां चोपसेवनम्

Transliteration

anāyuṣyakaraṃ caiva paradāropasarpaṇam | tasmāttaddūratastyājyaṃ vairiṇāṃ copasevanam

Translation

പരസ്ത്രീയെ സമീപിക്കുന്നത് ആയുസ്സിനെ ക്ഷയിപ്പിക്കുന്നതാണ്; അതിനാൽ അതിനെ ദൂരത്തുനിന്നുതന്നെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം. അതുപോലെ ശത്രുക്കളുടെ സഹവാസവും ഒഴിവാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• अनायुष्यकरम्: life-shortening
• अनायुष्यकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन् + आयुष्य + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘अन-आयुष्य-कर’ = ‘life-shortening’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• परदारोपसर्पणम्: approaching another’s wife
• परदारोपसर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + दार + उपसर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = परस्य दाराः (others’ wives) + उपसर्पणम् (approaching)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• दूरतः: from far away
• दूरतः: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/देशवाचक (from afar/at a distance)

• त्याज्यम्: to be avoided/abandoned
• त्याज्यम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्याज्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘to be abandoned’ (gerundive/णीयत्)

• वैरिणाम्: of enemies
• वैरिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपसेवनम्: association/serving/consorting
• उपसेवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + सेव् (धातु) → उपसेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक (action noun)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-student in Kāśī turns away from temptation—keeping distance from a forbidden liaison—and walks toward a group of sādhus/teachers; in the background, shadowy figures representing ‘enemies’ are avoided.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding sexual ethics and avoiding hostile associations preserves life, merit, and spiritual progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The counsel is part of Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma-instruction for those seeking purity while connected to Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it gives an ethical prohibition (avoid paradāra and enmity-based company).