Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विभोरपि समाज्ञेयं धर्मवर्त्मानुसारिणि । न किंचिदपकर्तव्यं जानता केनचित्क्वचित

Transliteration

vibhorapi samājñeyaṃ dharmavartmānusāriṇi | na kiṃcidapakartavyaṃ jānatā kenacitkvacita

Translation

Bahkan yang berkuasa pun hendaklah mengetahui apa yang wajar bagi orang yang meniti jalan dharma. Dengan mengetahui demikian, janganlah sesiapa pun, di mana-mana, melakukan perbuatan yang walau sedikit pun memudaratkan.

Word by Word

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• समाज्ञेयम्: should be understood
• समाज्ञेयम्: Kriya (Predicate obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√ज्ञा (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ण्यत्/यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be known/should be understood’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः

• धर्म-वर्त्म-अनुसारिणि: in (a person) following the path of dharma
• धर्म-वर्त्म-अनुसारिणि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुसारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘धर्मस्य वर्त्म (मार्गः) तदनुसारिणि’ (in one who follows the path of dharma); अधिकरणे

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object-quantifier/कर्म-परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; अल्पपरिमाण (anything at all)

• अपकर्तव्यम्: should not be harmed/done wrongly
• अपकर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप-√कृ (धातु) + तव्यत्
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not to be done as harm/should not be wronged’

• जानता: by one who knows
• जानता: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instr./करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by one who knows’

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite pronoun)

• क्वचित्: anywhere/ever
• क्वचित्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चित (adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment: Śiva’s calm authority and Brahmā’s assent frame a moral maxim; imagery can show a powerful figure lowering weapons/ego, symbolizing that might bows to dharma, with Kāśī’s sacred skyline behind.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma (principle)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power does not excuse adharma; true knowledge expresses itself as non-harm and disciplined righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is framed within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse; the implied setting is the dharmic atmosphere of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a universal dharma instruction: avoid wrongdoing and harm everywhere.