Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

पुण्योपदेष्टा पुण्यात्मा सर्वव्रतपरायणः । शुचिः शुचिचरित्रश्च श्रुतिस्मृतिविशारदः

Transliteration

puṇyopadeṣṭā puṇyātmā sarvavrataparāyaṇaḥ | śuciḥ śucicaritraśca śrutismṛtiviśāradaḥ

Translation

तो पुण्याचा उपदेश करणारा, पुण्यात्मा, सर्व व्रतांत परायण आहे; स्वतः शुचि व शुचिचरित्र आहे; आणि श्रुति-स्मृतित विशारद आहे.

Word by Word

• पुण्योपदेष्टा: teacher of virtue
• पुण्योपदेष्टा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उपदेष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('teacher of merit/virtuous instruction')

• पुण्यात्मा: virtuous-souled
• पुण्यात्मा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय ('whose self is pure/virtuous')

• सर्वव्रतपरायणः: devoted to all vows
• सर्वव्रतपरायणः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहुपद: 'devoted to all vows')

• शुचिः: pure, clean
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुचिचरित्रः: of pure conduct
• शुचिचरित्रः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय ('pure in conduct')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• श्रुतिस्मृतिविशारदः: well-versed in śruti and smṛti
• श्रुतिस्मृतिविशारदः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('expert in śruti and smṛti')

Speaker

Kāśī narrative voice (Uttarārdha context; traditionally Skanda addressing Agastya in Kāśī-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pure, learned brāhmaṇa-ācārya instructs pilgrims on vows and meritorious conduct, holding palm-leaf manuscripts, with a clean, luminous aura in a Kāśī setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual authority rests on both purity of life (vrata, conduct) and fidelity to sacred knowledge (Śruti and Smṛti).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred backdrop; the verse itself praises the qualities of a holy teacher rather than a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (religious observances) are referenced generally, without naming a specific vow.