Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यो लुब्धः पिशुनः क्रूरो दांभिको विषयात्मकः । सर्वतीर्थेष्वपि स्नातः पापो मलिन एव सः

Transliteration

yo lubdhaḥ piśunaḥ krūro dāṃbhiko viṣayātmakaḥ | sarvatīrtheṣvapi snātaḥ pāpo malina eva saḥ

Translation

ଯେ ଲୋଭୀ, ପିଶୁନ (ଚୁଗଲଖୋର), କ୍ରୂର, ଦାମ୍ଭିକ ଓ ବିଷୟାସକ୍ତ—ସେ ସର୍ବତୀର୍ଥରେ ସ୍ନାନ କଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ପାପୀ ଓ ମଲିନ ହିଁ ରହେ।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• लुब्धः: greedy
• लुब्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √लुभ् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पिशुनः: slandering, malicious
• पिशुनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• क्रूरः: cruel
• क्रूरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दांभिकः: hypocritical, ostentatious
• दांभिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दांभिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विषयात्मकः: sensual, sense-object-oriented
• विषयात्मकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषयः आत्मा/स्वभावः यस्य) ‘sensual by nature’

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all tīrthas
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वाणि तीर्थानि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (having bathed)

• पापः: sinful
• पापः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• मलिनः: impure, tainted
• मलिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ (indeed/only)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; मुख्य-वाक्ये कर्ता

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha (all holy places)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly dressed pilgrim boasts after many baths; behind him shadow-figures of Lobha (clutching coins), Piśuna (forked tongue), Krūra (blood-stained hand), Dāmbhika (mask), Viṣaya-āsakti (chains to objects). Despite sacred rivers around, his aura remains dark—‘malina’.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage without moral reform is ineffective; inner vices nullify outer rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references ‘all tīrthas’ generally; in Kāśīkhaṇḍa it functions as a corrective to purely touristic pilgrimage in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is given; the prescription is to abandon greed, slander, cruelty, hypocrisy, and sensual obsession.