Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

विप्रैरुदर्कमिच्छद्भिः शिक्षणीया यतो नृपाः । अतस्तव हितं ख्यातं किं वा मे चिंतयानया

Transliteration

viprairudarkamicchadbhiḥ śikṣaṇīyā yato nṛpāḥ | atastava hitaṃ khyātaṃ kiṃ vā me ciṃtayānayā

Translation

പരമ ശ്രേയസ്സിനെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന വിപ്രന്മാർ രാജാക്കളെ ഉപദേശിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്. അതുകൊണ്ട് നിന്റെ ഹിതം അറിയിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; ഇനി ഇതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് എനിക്ക് എന്ത് ചിന്ത?

Word by Word

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (masculine instrumental plural)

• उदर्कम्: the later result; higher outcome
• उदर्कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• इच्छद्भिः: desiring
• इच्छद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इच्छत् (प्रातिपदिक; √इष्/इच्छ् धातु, शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle; instrumental plural)

• शिक्षणीया: should be instructed
• शिक्षणीया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिक्षणीय (प्रातिपदिक; √शिक्ष् धातु, अनीय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (masculine nominative plural; gerundive: 'to be instructed')

• यतः: because
• यतः: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal indeclinable: 'because/therefore')

• नृपाः: kings
• नृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Inference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (inferential particle: 'therefore/from this')

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• हितम्: welfare; benefit
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular)

• ख्यातम्: has been declared/made known
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात (प्रातिपदिक; √ख्या धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle; predicate)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive singular pronoun)

• चिन्तया: by worry; by thought
• चिन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (feminine instrumental singular)

• अनया: by this
• अनया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (feminine instrumental singular pronoun)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context; verse voice aligns with a brāhmaṇa advising a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: implicit audience (king and readers)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet closure of instruction: the brāhmaṇa, having taught, adopts a composed posture; the king appears receptive. The atmosphere is that of a dharma-sabhā in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulers should accept guidance from dharmic teachers; right counsel aims at the highest good, not mere worldly gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse stresses dharma-instruction; it sits within the Kāśī-māhātmya frame where Kāśī is the sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes the social-dharmic principle of brāhmaṇa instruction for kings.