Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वेदबाह्यां क्रियां चापि कदाचित्प्रत्यपादयत् । कदाचित्स्थापयामास दृष्टप्रत्ययमैहिकम्

Transliteration

vedabāhyāṃ kriyāṃ cāpi kadācitpratyapādayat | kadācitsthāpayāmāsa dṛṣṭapratyayamaihikam

Translation

कधी तो वेदबाह्य क्रियांचाही प्रचार करू लागला; आणि कधी केवळ प्रत्यक्ष प्रमाणावर आधारलेल्या लौकिक मतांची स्थापना करू लागला।

Word by Word

• वेद-बाह्याम्: outside the Veda, non-Vedic
• वेद-बाह्याम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (क्रियाम्-विशेषण)

• क्रियाम्: a rite/practice
• क्रियाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-अव्यय (particle)

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• प्रत्यपादयत्: he taught/propounded
• प्रत्यपादयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + अप + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• स्थापयामास: he established, set up
• स्थापयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; causative (णिच्)

• दृष्ट-प्रत्ययम्: based on visible proof
• दृष्ट-प्रत्ययम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + प्रत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (ऐहिकम्-विशेषण/समनाधिकरण)

• ऐहिकम्: worldly (doctrine/practice)
• ऐहिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐहिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (स्थापयामास इत्यस्य कर्म)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ravi appears as a charismatic teacher: in one scene promoting heterodox rites outside Veda; in another, establishing a ‘worldly’ doctrine based only on what is seen. The king and sages listen with composed discernment, refusing to be swayed.

Characters & Entities

• non-Vedic rites (veda-bāhya)
• worldly/empirical doctrines

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not every persuasive teaching is dharmic; discernment is needed when confronted with non-Vedic or purely worldly ideologies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the setting, emphasizing that even in a holy city, seekers may encounter misleading teachings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes misleading ritual/doctrinal प्रचार (propagation) rather than prescribing practice.