Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

बुद्धिपूर्वं मया चैतन्न पापं समुपार्जितम् । पुरारिणैव हि पुराऽशासि धर्मो हि रक्ष्यताम्

Transliteration

buddhipūrvaṃ mayā caitanna pāpaṃ samupārjitam | purāriṇaiva hi purā'śāsi dharmo hi rakṣyatām

Translation

ਇਹ ਪਾਪ ਮੈਂ ਬੁੱਧੀਪੂਰਵਕ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਮਾਇਆ। ਪੁਰਾਰੀ (ਸ਼ਿਵ) ਨੇ ਹੀ ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਕਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀ: ‘ਧਰਮ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ।’

Word by Word

• बुद्धिपूर्वम्: deliberately / with forethought
• बुद्धिपूर्वम्: Sambandha (Adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बुद्धि-पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषण (with prior intention/knowingly)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘पापम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• समुपार्जितम्: was accumulated / committed
• समुपार्जितम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was acquired/committed)

• पुरारिणा: by Purāri (Śiva)
• पुरारिणा: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

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

• हि: indeed / for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (particle: for/indeed)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• अशासि: you instructed / commanded
• अशासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/लुङ्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मः: dharma / righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

• रक्ष्यताम्: let (it) be protected
• रक्ष्यताम्: Kriya (Injunctive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘let dharma be protected’

Speaker

Mārtaṇḍa (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee explains before elders or in inner reflection that the fault was not intentional; a subtle vision of Śiva (Purāri) appears as the source of the dharma-injunction.

Characters & Entities

• Purāri (Śiva)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Intention matters in moral judgment, and the highest command remains the safeguarding of dharma as taught by Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is ethical-theological and does not directly glorify a particular tīrtha, though it remains within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is a dhārmic principle: protection of dharma.