Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

भाजनानि विचित्राणि कांस्य ताम्रमयानि च । नग्नीकृत्यप्रति दिनं बद्ध्यंते द्यूतकारिभिः

Transliteration

bhājanāni vicitrāṇi kāṃsya tāmramayāni ca | nagnīkṛtyaprati dinaṃ baddhyaṃte dyūtakāribhiḥ

Translation

कांस्य व तांब्याची बनलेली विचित्र भांडीही त्यांच्याकडून काढून घेतली जात; आणि जुगारी दररोज त्यांना सर्वस्वहरण करून बांधून (दुःखात) ओढत नेत।

Word by Word

• भाजनानि: vessels, utensils
• भाजनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• विचित्राणि: variegated, ornate
• विचित्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भाजनानि इति विशेषणम्

• कांस्य-ताम्रमयानि: made of bell-metal and copper
• कांस्य-ताम्रमयानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कांस्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ताम्रमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘कांस्य-ताम्र-निर्मित’ इत्यर्थे

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नग्नीकृत्य: having stripped (them)
• नग्नीकृत्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नग्नीकृ (धातु; नग्न + कृ) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having made naked/stripped)

• प्रति: per, each
• प्रति: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘प्रत्यहम्’ इत्यर्थे (per)

• दिनम्: day
• दिनम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कालाधिकरणे (accusative of time)

• बध्यन्ते: are bound, are tied
• बध्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: are bound)

• द्यूतकारिभिः: by the gamblers
• द्यूतकारिभिः: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूतकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-करण (agent in passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gamblers seize ornate bronze and copper vessels; a victim is stripped of possessions and led bound, day after day, through a narrow lane; the contrast of gleaming metal and human degradation is central.

Characters & Entities

• bhājana (vessels)
• kāṁsya
• tāmra (copper)
• dyūtakāri (gambler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Persistent vice produces persistent bondage—daily life itself becomes a chain when one is ruled by gambling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), but this verse is ethical instruction through narrative rather than site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it illustrates the social and material degradation caused by gambling.