Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

निषादेष्वपि चेद्विप्रः कश्चिद्भवति पुत्रक । संरक्षणीयो यत्नेन भक्षणीयो न कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

niṣādeṣvapi cedvipraḥ kaścidbhavati putraka | saṃrakṣaṇīyo yatnena bhakṣaṇīyo na karhicit

Translation

“എന്നാൽ നിഷാദരിലുമെങ്കിലും ഒരുവൻ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, മകനേ, അവനെ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ സംരക്ഷിക്കണം; ഒരിക്കലും ഭക്ഷിക്കരുത്।”

Word by Word

• niṣādeṣu: among the Niṣādas
• niṣādeṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa
• vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kaścit: someone; any
• kaścit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• bhavati: is/becomes
• bhavati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• putraka: O dear son
• putraka: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃrakṣaṇīyaḥ: should be protected
• saṃrakṣaṇīyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + √rakṣ (धातु) + anīya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनīय-प्रत्यय; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• yatnena: with effort
• yatnena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhakṣaṇīyaḥ: fit to be eaten/devoured
• bhakṣaṇīyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhakṣ (धातु) + anīya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (अनīय-प्रत्यय; gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); निषेधेन सह (with negation)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• karhicit: ever
• karhicit: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: karhicit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ever/at any time)

Speaker

Vinatā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Frame) Agastya; immediate speaker Vinatā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vinatā adds a crucial caveat: if a brāhmaṇa is found among the Niṣādas, he must be protected; Garuḍa listens with disciplined restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Garuḍa
• Niṣādas
• Vipra/Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment: even amid hostile groups, the righteous should be protected and not harmed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; the teaching is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharmic narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a rule of conduct (do-not-harm, protect the virtuous).