Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन प्रतीपः प्रतिघातुकः । चतुर्वर्गस्य देहस्य परिहेयो विपश्चिता

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena pratīpaḥ pratighātukaḥ | caturvargasya dehasya pariheyo vipaścitā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ജ്ഞാനി സർവ്വപ്രയത്നത്തോടെയും വൈരപരനും പ്രതിഘാതകനും തടസ്സം സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നവനുമായ ആളിനെ ഒഴിവാക്കണം; കാരണം അത്തരം വ്യക്തി ധർമ്മം-അർത്ഥം-കാമം-മോക്ഷം എന്ന ചതുര്വർഗ്ഗസാധനയെ ദേഹധാരിയിൽ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• सर्व: all, every
• सर्व: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; (समासाङ्गत्वेन)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental: 'with effort')

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः ('सर्वः प्रयत्नः' = full effort)

• प्रतीपः: hostile; adverse
• प्रतीपः: Viśeṣya/Predicate (प्रत्ययार्थ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रतिघातुकः: harmful; striking back
• प्रतिघातुकः: Viśeṣya/Predicate (प्रत्ययार्थ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिघातुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• चतुर्: four
• चतुर्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद), अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (numeral stem in compound)

• वर्गस्य: of the group/class
• वर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चतुर्वर्गस्य: of the four aims of life
• चतुर्वर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (द्विगु-न; 'चारः वर्गाः'—धर्मार्थकाममोक्ष)

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• परिहेयः: to be avoided
• परिहेयः: Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + हा (धातु) → परिहेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थ-योग्यतासूचकः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive: 'to be avoided')

• विपश्चिता: by the wise (one)
• विपश्चिता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपश्चित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे (agent: 'by the wise woman/person')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame, contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment in Kāśī: a sage or elder instructs a pilgrim/householder to avoid a hostile obstructer; the four puruṣārthas symbolically shown as a chariot or four pillars being threatened by a dark, blocking figure.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avoid hostile, obstructive company, because it undermines dharma and blocks progress toward life’s four goals, including mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, oriented to Kāśī’s dharma-teaching, though no single tīrtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a conduct-based instruction (sadācāra) about avoiding harmful association.