Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

इति प्रेतवचः श्रुत्वा स कृपालुस्तपोधनः । मनसा चिंतयामास धिङ्निजार्थोद्यमान्नरान्

Transliteration

iti pretavacaḥ śrutvā sa kṛpālustapodhanaḥ | manasā ciṃtayāmāsa dhiṅnijārthodyamānnarān

Translation

Ouvindo estas palavras do preta, aquele asceta compassivo, tesouro de austeridade, refletiu em sua mente: «Vergonha aos homens que se empenham apenas no próprio interesse!»

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle: thus)

• प्रेतवचः: the words of the preta (departed spirit)
• प्रेतवचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत-वचस् (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + वचस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

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

• कृपालुः: compassionate
• कृपालुः: Karta (Subject attribute/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपालु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to सः)

• तपोधनः: the ascetic (whose wealth is tapas)
• तपोधनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्-धन (प्रातिपदिक; तपस् + धन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘whose wealth is austerity’

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• चिन्तयामास: reflected/thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; परिप्रयोगः (periphrastic perfect)

• धिङ्: shame! fie!
• धिङ्: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धिङ् (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-अव्यय (interjection of censure)

• निजार्थोद्यमान्: those striving for their own ends
• निजार्थोद्यमान्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज-अर्थ-उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक; निज + अर्थ + उद्यम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to नरान्)

• नरान्: men
• नरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator within Skanda’s Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse (deduced); the thought belongs to the tapodhana sage

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate ascetic, hearing the preta’s plea, pauses in inward contemplation; his face shows gentle resolve while the bustling sacred precinct fades into a quiet moral tableau.

Characters & Entities

• preta
• tapodhana (sage/ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma condemns narrow selfish striving and elevates compassion—especially toward the suffering and fallen.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sanctifying narrative environment is implied; the verse foregrounds ethical reflection rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the emphasis is on inner attitude and compassionate resolve.