Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यत्रैव हि तपस्यंति यत्रैव विहिताश्रमाः । लब्धप्रतिष्ठा यत्रैव तत्रैवामर्षिणो द्विजाः

Transliteration

yatraiva hi tapasyaṃti yatraiva vihitāśramāḥ | labdhapratiṣṭhā yatraiva tatraivāmarṣiṇo dvijāḥ

Translation

അവർ എവിടെയെല്ലാം തപസ്സു ചെയ്യുന്നു, എവിടെയെല്ലാം ആശ്രമങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിതമാകുന്നു, എവിടെയെല്ലാം പ്രതിഷ്ഠ ലഭിക്കുന്നു—അവിടെയെല്ലാം ആ ദ്വിജ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ എളുപ്പത്തിൽ കോപിക്കുന്ന (സ്പർശസൂക്ഷ്മ)വരാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb ‘where’)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• तपस्यन्ति: they practice austerity
• तपस्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तपस् (धातु √तप्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• विहिताश्रमाः: those whose āśramas (stages/abodes) are duly established
• विहिताश्रमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहित (कृदन्त; √धा/√हि? here √धा ‘to place/ordain’ with vi-) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘विहित’ = ‘ordained/established’ (past passive participle) qualifying ‘आश्रम’

• लब्धप्रतिष्ठाः: having obtained firm standing
• लब्धप्रतिष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लब्ध (कृदन्त; √लभ्) + प्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त ‘लब्ध’ = ‘obtained’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb ‘there’)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• अमर्षिणः: unresentful/unangered
• अमर्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• द्विजाः: brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrating a general observation within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Multiple hermitages in a sacred landscape; ascetics gaining renown, with subtle tension shown by a brāhmaṇa’s quick offense—an inner drama rather than overt action.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāja (Dvija/Brāhmaṇa ascetics)
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice and social recognition can still coexist with irritability; dharma requires mastering anger alongside tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tirtha; it is a moral reflection embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it comments on ascetic life (āśrama) and temperament rather than prescribing a rite.