Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यथैवात्मा परस्तद्वद्द्रष्टव्यः सुखमिच्छता । सुखदुःखानि तुल्यानि यथात्मनि तथा परे

Transliteration

yathaivātmā parastadvaddraṣṭavyaḥ sukhamicchatā | sukhaduḥkhāni tulyāni yathātmani tathā pare

Translation

Assim como alguém considera a si mesmo, assim deve considerar o outro quem deseja a felicidade; pois prazeres e dores são iguais: o que há em si, há também no próximo.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• एव: indeed, exactly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karma (Object of seeing/द्रष्टव्यस्य कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परः: another person
• परः: Karma (Object of seeing/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: in the same way
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: तुल्यतार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning ‘like that’)

• द्रष्टव्यः: should be regarded/seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘to be seen/should be regarded’

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• इच्छता: by one who desires
• इच्छता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; ‘by one desiring’

• सुखदुःखानि: pleasures and pains
• सुखदुःखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (sukha and duḥkha)

• तुल्यानि: equal
• तुल्यानि: Kriya (Predicate adjective/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with सुखदुःखानि)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय

• आत्मनि: in oneself
• आत्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यतार्थक-अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• परे: in another (person)
• परे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on Kāśī ghāṭs pauses to help another—offering water, food, or support—while the Gaṅgā flows behind; mirrored reflections in water symbolize ‘self in the other’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is grounded in empathy: recognizing others’ pain and joy as equal to one’s own.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting; no particular tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it gives a universal ethical principle for conduct.