Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

रागादिदोषपरिपूर मनो हृषीकाः काशीपुरीमतुलदिव्यमहाप्रभावाम् । ये कल्पयंत्यपरतीर्थसमां समंतात्ते पापिनो न सह तैः परिभाषणीयम्

Transliteration

rāgādidoṣaparipūra mano hṛṣīkāḥ kāśīpurīmatuladivyamahāprabhāvām | ye kalpayaṃtyaparatīrthasamāṃ samaṃtātte pāpino na saha taiḥ paribhāṣaṇīyam

Translation

जे लोक राग-द्वेषाने भरलेल्या मनाने दिव्य काशीला इतर तीर्थांच्या समान मानतात, ते पापी आहेत; त्यांच्याशी बोलूही नये.

Word by Word

• rāga-ādi-doṣa-paripūra: filled with faults like passion
• rāga-ādi-doṣa-paripūra: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + paripūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; विशेषण (of manaḥ): ‘filled with faults such as passion’

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• hṛṣīkāḥ: senses
• hṛṣīkāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• kāśī-purīm: Kāśī city
• kāśī-purīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• atula-divya-mahā-prabhāvām: of incomparable, divine, great power
• atula-divya-mahā-prabhāvām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atula (प्रातिपदिक) + divya (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय; विशेषण (of kāśīpurīm)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• kalpayanti: imagine, consider
• kalpayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kḷp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• apara-tīrtha-samām: equal to other tīrthas
• apara-tīrtha-samām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + samā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अपरेषां तीर्थानां समा) विशेषण (of kāśīpurīm)

• samantāt: entirely, in every way
• samantāt: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: entirely/on all sides)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• pāpinaḥ: sinful people
• pāpinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• saha: with
• saha: Sahartha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (prepositional adverb: with)

• taiḥ: with them
• taiḥ: Sahartha (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• paribhāṣaṇīyam: should be spoken to/with
• paribhāṣaṇīyam: Vidhi/Anujñā (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; अनीयर्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/passive necessity), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः (it is not to be spoken with)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers within Kāśī-māhātmya discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two groups at Kāśī: reverent pilgrims offering water and prayers, and a skeptical, sense-driven group gesturing dismissively; a sage turns away, indicating ‘do not converse’ with those who belittle the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Kāśīpurī
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not diminish the unique sanctity of Kāśī by equating it with ordinary tīrthas; reverence for sacred geography is part of Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīpurī—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)—is praised as possessing incomparable, divine, great spiritual power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed here; the instruction is ethical: avoid association and even conversation with those who disparage Kāśī’s greatness.