Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

स्वभाव एव द्युसदां परोत्कर्षासहिष्णुता । बलि बाण दधीच्याद्यैरपराद्धं किमत्र तैः

Transliteration

svabhāva eva dyusadāṃ parotkarṣāsahiṣṇutā | bali bāṇa dadhīcyādyairaparāddhaṃ kimatra taiḥ

Translation

ପରର ଉତ୍କର୍ଷ ସହିନ ପାରିବା ଦ୍ୟୁସଦମାନଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱଭାବ ହିଁ; ତେଣୁ ବଳି, ବାଣ, ଦଧୀଚି ଆଦିଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ସେମାନେ ଅପରାଧ କଲେ—ଏଥିରେ ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ କଣ?

Word by Word

• स्वभावः: (it is) the nature
• स्वभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'nature'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण अव्यय (indeed)

• द्युसदाम्: of the gods
• द्युसदाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्युसद् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: द्यु (स्वर्ग) + सद् (dwelling)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; 'of the heaven-dwellers (gods)'

• परोत्कर्षासहिष्णुता: intolerance of others’ excellence
• परोत्कर्षासहिष्णुता: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-उत्कर्ष-असहिष्णुता (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: पर + उत्कर्ष + असहिष्णुता
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—'परस्य उत्कर्षः' तस्मिन् असहिष्णुता (intolerance of others' superiority)

• बलि: Bali
• बलि: Karta (Agent in implied clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (Bali)

• बाण: Bāṇa
• बाण: Karta (Agent in implied clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (Bāṇa)

• दधीचि-आद्यैः: by Dadhīci and others
• दधीचि-आद्यैः: Karana/Agent-group (Instrument/कर्ता-समूह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि-आदि (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: दधीचि + आदि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'by Dadhīci and others' (आदि-समास)

• अपराद्धम्: wrongdoing
• अपराद्धम्: Karma/Predicate (Object/भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपराध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √राध् (धातु) + अप + घञ्/भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'offence/wrong' (here: 'was committed')

• किम्: what
• किम्: Interrogative (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक—'what?'

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here/in this matter)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana/Agent (Instrument/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'by them'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A montage-like moral tableau: Bali humbled, Bāṇa confronted, Dadhīci offering his bones—framed as examples of deva intolerance toward others’ greatness.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Bali
• Bāṇa
• Dadhīci

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even celestial power can be shadowed by envy; dharma calls for humility and recognition of true merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse functions as moral framing within the Kāśī narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.