Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

परमर्म स्पृशश्चास्य परच्छिद्रप्रकाशितुः । सुतप्तायोमयाञ्च्छंकून्सर्वसंधिषु रोपय

Transliteration

paramarma spṛśaścāsya paracchidraprakāśituḥ | sutaptāyomayāñcchaṃkūnsarvasaṃdhiṣu ropaya

Translation

അന്യന്റെ മര്‍മ്മത്തെ നോവിക്കുന്നവന്റെയും അന്യന്റെ ന്യൂനതകളെ വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നവന്റെയും സകല സന്ധികളിലും പഴുപ്പിച്ച ഇരുമ്പാണികള്‍ തറയ്ക്കുക.

Word by Word

• परमर्म: another’s vital spot
• परमर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: परस्य मर्म (another’s vital spot)

• स्पृशः: (you) touch
• स्पृशः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; छन्दसि/आर्ष-प्रयोगे ‘स्पृशः’ (you touch)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अस्य: of this one/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परच्छिद्रप्रकाशितुः: of the revealer of others’ faults
• परच्छिद्रप्रकाशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकाशितृ (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: परस्य छिद्रं प्रकाशयति इति (one who reveals others’ faults)

• सुतप्तायोमयान्: made of well-heated iron
• सुतप्तायोमयान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रादि) + तप्त (कृदन्त; तप्√ + क्त) + अयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: सुतप्तेन आयसा मयाः (made of well-heated iron)

• शङ्कून्: spikes/pegs
• शङ्कून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• सर्वसन्धिषु: in all joints
• सर्वसन्धिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषु सन्धिषु (in all joints)

• रोपय: insert/plant
• रोपय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुह्/रोप् (धातु; causative of रुह्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): रोपय = cause to be planted/insert

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Attendants drive glowing iron pegs into the sinner’s joints—knees, elbows, shoulders—symbolizing the breaking of social and bodily ‘sandhi’ by cruelty and fault-finding.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deliberately hurting others by exploiting their weak points or publicizing their faults is treated as serious cruelty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred horizon is Kāśī, but this particular verse is a general dharma-admonition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a punitive description aimed at discouraging harmful conduct.