Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

जंतूद्वेगकरं मूढं प्रजापीडनपंडितम् । परदारपरद्रव्यापहृत्यासुखमानिनम्

Transliteration

jaṃtūdvegakaraṃ mūḍhaṃ prajāpīḍanapaṃḍitam | paradāraparadravyāpahṛtyāsukhamāninam

Translation

“ഞാൻ മൂഢൻ; ജീവജാലങ്ങൾക്ക് വ്യഥ വരുത്തുന്നവൻ; പ്രജയെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിൽ തന്നെ ‘പണ്ഡിതൻ’; പരസ്ത്രീയും പരധനവും അപഹരിക്കുന്നതിൽ സുഖം കാണുന്നവൻ.”

Word by Word

• जन्तूद्वेगकरम्: causing distress to creatures
• जन्तूद्वेगकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्तु + उद्वेग + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जन्तूनाम् उद्वेगं करोति इति)

• मूढम्: deluded, foolish
• मूढम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रजापीडनपण्डितम्: clever in tormenting the people
• प्रजापीडनपण्डितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रजा + पीडन + पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे: 'प्रजां पीडयितुं पण्डितः' (skilled in oppressing subjects)

• परदार: another’s wife
• परदार: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग); तत्पुरुष (परस्य दाराः)

• परद्रव्य: another’s property
• परद्रव्य: None
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग); तत्पुरुष (परस्य द्रव्यम्)

• अपहृत्या: having stolen/abducted
• अपहृत्या: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपहृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप (gerund/absolutive); क्रियाविशेषण (having stolen/abducted)

• असुखमानिनम्: one who deems misery as (acceptable/pleasure)
• असुखमानिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असुख + मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (असुखं मानयति/मन्यते इति)

Speaker

Skanda (narration context: Kāśīkhaṇḍa, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king visualizes his past misdeeds as haunting vignettes—distressed beings, oppressed subjects, stolen wealth—while standing in the purifying aura of Kāśī, indicating a moral reckoning.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma appears as ‘cleverness’ but is truly delusion; harming beings, oppressing people, and violating others’ rights destroys spiritual merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly the Dharmic sphere of Kāśī that provokes such confession; the verse itself focuses on inner reform.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it underscores yamas—non-harm, non-stealing, and sexual restraint.