Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

आत्मघाती स विज्ञेयः सदा त्रैलोक्यघातकः । शिवनिंदां विधत्ते यः स नाभाष्योऽधमाधमः

Transliteration

ātmaghātī sa vijñeyaḥ sadā trailokyaghātakaḥ | śivaniṃdāṃ vidhatte yaḥ sa nābhāṣyo'dhamādhamaḥ

Translation

ശിവനിന്ദ ചെയ്യുന്നവനെ ആത്മഘാതിയെന്നു അറിയുക; അവൻ സദാ ത്രൈലോക്യഘാതകൻ. അവൻ അധമന്മാരിലും അധമൻ; അവനോട് സംസാരിക്കലും യോജ്യമല്ല.

Word by Word

• आत्मघाती: a self-slayer
• आत्मघाती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक; √हन्/√घात् (धातु-भाव) + इन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः घाती = self-killer)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known/should be regarded
• विज्ञेयः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√ज्ञा (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): 'to be known/should be regarded'

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'always')

• त्रैलोक्यघातकः: destroyer of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यघातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + लोक) + घातक (प्रातिपदिक; √हन्/घात् + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य घातकः)

• शिवनिंदाम्: reviling of Śiva
• शिवनिंदाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + निंदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य निंदा)

• विधत्ते: does/commits
• विधत्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (correlative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• आभाष्यः: fit to be spoken to
• आभाष्यः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√भाष् (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): 'fit to be spoken to' (negated here)

• अधमाधमः: the vilest of the vile
• अधमाधमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अधमानाम् अधमः = the lowest among the low)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (general Śiva-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral allegory: a reviler’s words appear as dark arrows striking his own heart and casting shadows over the three worlds; sages and pilgrims turn away, indicating 'unfit to be spoken with'.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reviling Śiva is portrayed as spiritual self-harm and a cosmic-level wrong, demanding strict avoidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva sacred environment is implied, where reverence toward Śiva is foundational.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive rite; the instruction is a strong prohibition and social-religious avoidance of Śiva-nindā.