Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कथनीयं न चान्यस्य कस्यचित्केनचित्क्वचित् । इदं रहस्यं परमं महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

kathanīyaṃ na cānyasya kasyacitkenacitkvacit | idaṃ rahasyaṃ paramaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

Janganlah ia diceritakan kepada sebarang orang—oleh sesiapa pun, di mana-mana pun. Inilah rahsia tertinggi, pemusnah dosa-dosa besar.

Word by Word

• कथनीयम्: to be told/should be spoken
• कथनीयम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive: ‘to be told’)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अन्यस्य: of another
• अन्यस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of another (person)’

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रश्नवाचक (indefinite: ‘of someone’)

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अनिश्चित (indefinite: ‘by someone’)

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: अधिकरण (Adverbial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक) + चित्
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: ‘anywhere’)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रहस्यम्: secret (teaching)
• रहस्यम्: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रहस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying रहस्यम्)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातक + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-rahasya (within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary listener in the frame (sages) and, by extension, the qualified devotee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage in a secluded corner of a Kāśī ghat courtyard, gesturing ‘silence’ while handing a palm-leaf manuscript to a humble disciple; the Gaṅgā flows behind, emphasizing sacred confidentiality.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpātaka (great sins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Powerful spiritual methods require discretion and proper qualification; their aim is profound purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Gaṅgā-related ‘secret’ within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, without naming a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Instruction on secrecy: do not transmit the rahasya indiscriminately; it is reserved for qualified seekers.