Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विपद्यपि हि ते धन्या न ये दैन्यप्रणोदिताः । धनैर्मलिनचित्तानामालभंतेंगणं क्वचित्

Transliteration

vipadyapi hi te dhanyā na ye dainyapraṇoditāḥ | dhanairmalinacittānāmālabhaṃteṃgaṇaṃ kvacit

Translation

ବିପଦରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯେମାନେ ଦୈନ୍ୟରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ ସେମାନେ ଧନ୍ୟ। କିନ୍ତୁ ଧନରେ ମଲିନ ଚିତ୍ତ ଥିବାମାନେ କେବେ କେବେ କେବଳ ଧନବଳରେ ଆଙ୍ଗଣ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ଦଢ଼ିବା ସ୍ଥାନ-ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠା—ଲାଭ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• विपदि: in misfortune
• विपदि: Adhikarana (Location/State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अप्यर्थक-निपात (even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निश्चय/हेतु-निपात

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘तद्’ सर्वनाम

• धन्याः: fortunate, blessed
• धन्याः: Visheshya (Predicate adjective/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेध-निपात

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• दैन्यप्रणोदिताः: driven by wretchedness
• दैन्यप्रणोदिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘ये’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैन्य + प्रणोदित (कृदन्त; प्र-नुद् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘दैन्येन प्रणोदिताः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; भूतकृदन्त

• धनैः: by wealth, with riches
• धनैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मलिनचित्तानाम्: of those whose minds are tainted
• मलिनचित्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलिन + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘मलिनं चित्तं येषाम्’ इति कर्मधारय-प्रयोग (बहुव्रीहि-अर्थे विशेषणवत्), षष्ठी-बहुवचन

• आलभन्ते: they obtain, they gain
• आलभन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• अङ्गणम्: courtyard; (fig.) a place/standing
• अङ्गणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्वचित्: somewhere, at some time
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: somewhere/sometimes)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution continuing from Skanda uvāca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting figures: one poor yet composed amid misfortune, another wealthy with a troubled, stained mind gaining entry to a grand courtyard; the moral contrast is internal rather than external.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True blessedness is inner steadiness without dejection; wealth can buy access, but it cannot cleanse a stained mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as dharma-upadeśa within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse critiques wealth-driven conduct and praises resilience.