Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

इदमेव रहस्यं च कथितं क्षेत्रवासिनाम् । मतिः परहिता कार्या वाच्यं नोद्वेगकृद्वचः

Transliteration

idameva rahasyaṃ ca kathitaṃ kṣetravāsinām | matiḥ parahitā kāryā vācyaṃ nodvegakṛdvacaḥ

Translation

ഇതേ രഹസ്യോപദേശം ക്ഷേത്രവാസികൾക്കായി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. മനസ്സിനെ പരഹിതത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിക്കുവിൻ; കലഹം ഉളവാക്കാത്ത വാക്കുകളേ പറയുവിൻ.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक/particle of emphasis)

• रहस्यम्: secret / esoteric teaching
• रहस्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samucchaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coord. conjunction)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate, passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कथ् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः ‘has been told’

• क्षेत्रवासिनाम्: of the residents of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षेत्रे वासी)

• मतिः: mindset / intention
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परहिता: beneficial to others
• परहिता: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य हितम्)

• कार्या: should be made (so)
• कार्या: Kriya (Implied obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) ‘to be done/made’

• वाच्यम्: should be spoken
• वाच्यम्: Kriya (Implied obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) ‘to be spoken’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• उद्वेगकृत्: causing agitation
• उद्वेगकृत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्वेग + कृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + क्विप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘उद्वेगं करोति’

• वचः: speech / words
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (resident-dharma)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: kṣetra-vāsinaḥ / dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm ethical tableau: Kāśī residents engaged in acts of public welfare—helping pilgrims, feeding the poor—while maintaining gentle, non-provocative conversation; the sacred city backdrop reinforces ‘rahasya’ as lived virtue.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kṣetra-vāsins
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kāśī, inner purity is shown through a mind dedicated to others’ good and speech that does not disturb or harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī as the ‘kṣetra’ whose residents are given a special ethical rahasya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of conduct: cultivate parahita-bhāva and practice gentle, non-agitating speech.