Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कृतज्ञो मधुरालापः पापकर्मपराङ्मुखः । सत्यवाक्छौचनिलयः स्वल्पवाग्विजितेंद्रियः

Transliteration

kṛtajño madhurālāpaḥ pāpakarmaparāṅmukhaḥ | satyavākchaucanilayaḥ svalpavāgvijiteṃdriyaḥ

Translation

അവൻ കൃതജ്ഞനും മധുരഭാഷിയുമായിരുന്നു; പാപകര്‍മ്മങ്ങളില്‍നിന്ന് പരാങ്മുഖനായിരുന്നു. സത്യവാക്യനും ശുചിത്വത്തില്‍ സ്ഥാപിതനും, അല്‍പഭാഷിയും ഇന്ദ്രിയജയിയും ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कृतज्ञः: grateful
• कृतज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग (कृतं जानाति = grateful)

• मधुरालापः: sweet-speaking
• मधुरालापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक) + आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (मधुरः आलापः यस्य)

• पापकर्मपराङ्मुखः: averse to sinful deeds
• पापकर्मपराङ्मुखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पापकर्मणि पराङ्मुखः = turned away from sinful acts)

• सत्यवाक्: truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष-रूप (वाक्-शब्दः प्रथमा एकवचन)

• शौचनिलयः: abode of purity
• शौचनिलयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शौच (प्रातिपदिक) + निलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शौचस्य निलयः = abode of purity)

• स्वल्पवाक्: of few words
• स्वल्पवाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्वल्पा वाक् यस्य)

• विजितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (senses conquered)
• विजितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-जि (धातु) → विजित (कृदन्त) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियाणि विजितानि यस्य = having conquered senses)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed pilgrim-noble in Kāśī speaks gently to supplicants, offers thanks to elders, and turns away from temptations; symbolic motifs include a water pot for purity, a rosary for restraint, and the Gaṅgā ghat as backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded by truthfulness, purity, restraint of speech, and mastery over the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is specified; it supports the Kāśī-centered dharma narrative by praising inner purity and conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the “śauca” theme implies purity-discipline rather than a named rite.