Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

सुचिरं नरकान्भुक्त्वा मदिरापानलंपटाः । मधुपा एव गायंते भ्रांतिभाजः पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

suciraṃ narakānbhuktvā madirāpānalaṃpaṭāḥ | madhupā eva gāyaṃte bhrāṃtibhājaḥ punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

ମଦିରାପାନରେ ଲମ୍ପଟ ଲୋକେ ଦୀର୍ଘକାଳ ନରକ ଭୋଗି ଭୃଙ୍ଗ ହୋଇ ଜନ୍ମ ନେନ୍ତି; ଭ୍ରାନ୍ତିର ଭାଗୀ ହୋଇ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ଗୁଞ୍ଜନ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• सुचिरम्: for a long time
• सुचिरम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणवत्; नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारेण अव्ययप्रयोग (for a long time)

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भुक्त्वा: having undergone
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having experienced/enjoyed)

• मदिरापानलम्पटाः: addicted to drinking liquor
• मदिरापानलम्पटाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदिरा + पान + लम्पट (प्रातिपदिक; मदिरा-पान-लम्पट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः (मदिरायाः पानं तस्मिन् लम्पटाः)

• मधुपाः: bees
• मधुपाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)

• गायन्ते: sing
• गायन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• भ्रान्तिभाजः: partakers of delusion
• भ्रान्तिभाजः: Karta (कर्ता/Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रान्ति + भाज् (प्रातिपदिक; भ्रान्ति-भाज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (those who partake of delusion)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/आवृत्त्यर्थ (again)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आवृत्त्यर्थ (again)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-vision scene: shadowy naraka imagery fades into a bright Kāśī garden where bees hum repetitively; the bees’ ‘song’ is portrayed as compulsive repetition, symbolizing delusion born of addiction.

Characters & Entities

• naraka (hell)
• madirā (liquor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Addiction to intoxicants leads to heavy karmic consequences and deluded rebirth; dharma requires sobriety and self-control.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-kṣetra context frames this moral teaching as part of Kāśī’s dharmic instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prohibition: avoid madirā (intoxicants); no positive rite (snāna/japa/dāna) is specified in this verse.