Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

य आप्तत्वेन संपृष्टो दुर्बुद्धिं संप्रयच्छति । स याति नरकं घोरं यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्

Transliteration

ya āptatvena saṃpṛṣṭo durbuddhiṃ saṃprayacchati | sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam

Translation

ആപ്തനെന്നു വിശ്വസിച്ച് ചോദിച്ചിട്ടും ദുർബുദ്ധിയാൽ ഹാനികരമായ ഉപദേശം നൽകുന്നവൻ, ഭാവികളുടെ ലയംവരെ ഭീകര നരകത്തിൽ പതിക്കും।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject of relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Relative pronoun)

• आप्तत्वेन: with (the claim of) trustworthiness
• आप्तत्वेन: Karana (By/under the guise of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Instrumental); भाववाचक (state of being trustworthy/close)

• संपृष्टः: being asked
• संपृष्टः: Karta (Predicate participle of यः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (having been asked)

• दुर्बुद्धिम्: bad counsel / foolish idea
• दुर्बुद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative)

• संप्रयच्छति: gives, offers
• संप्रयच्छति: Kriya (Verb of relative clause)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + यम्/यच्छ् (धातु: √यम्, यच्छति-रूपम्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject of main clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Correlative)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Gati-Karma (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Accusative)

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying नरकम्)

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Kala-Adhikarana (Temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/अवधिवाचक; 'until/as long as')

• आभूत-संप्लवम्: the (cosmic) deluge/pralaya
• आभूत-संप्लवम्: Kala-Adhikarana (Temporal extent as object of यावत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आभूत (प्रातिपदिक) + संप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (आभूतः = यथाभूत/सम्यक्; आभूतसंप्लवः = प्रलयः)

Speaker

Tāpasa (the ascetic teacher)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: the adviser’s words appear as dark arrows leading toward a terrifying naraka landscape, contrasted with the calm forest where counsel should have been pure.

Characters & Entities

• Tāpasa
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those entrusted as guides must speak dharma; misleading counsel given under the guise of trust brings severe karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the chapter’s sacred horizon, but this verse teaches universal dharma regarding truthful, beneficial guidance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical injunction about counsel and accountability.