Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

यस्य देशो न विदितो यस्तु वृत्तिपराङ्मुखः । आचारहीनमिव यं पुराऽपश्यं कठोरधीः

Transliteration

yasya deśo na vidito yastu vṛttiparāṅmukhaḥ | ācārahīnamiva yaṃ purā'paśyaṃ kaṭhoradhīḥ

Translation

யாருடைய நாடு அறியப்படாததோ, யார் நல்வாழ்வாதாரமும் நன்னடத்தையும் விட்டு விலகினாரோ—அவரை நான் முன்பு கண்டேன்; ஒழுக்கமற்றவரைப் போல, கடினமும் அசையாத மனத்துடன் இருந்தார்.

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (contextual)

• देशः: country/place
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विदितः: known
• विदितः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञातः’

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

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• वृत्तिपराङ्मुखः: turned away from livelihood/occupation
• वृत्तिपराङ्मुखः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वृत्तौ पराङ्मुखः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आचारहीनम्: devoid of proper conduct
• आचारहीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (आचारेण हीनः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly/earlier
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कठोरधीः: one of harsh intellect
• कठोरधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कठोर (प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (कठोरा धीः यस्य सः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary, unknown wanderer with stern face and austere posture stands at the edge of a sacred city-lane/ghāṭa, contrasted with orderly pilgrims and ritual life—suggesting moral estrangement amid sanctity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is recognized through ācāra (ethical conduct) and righteous vṛtti (livelihood); turning away from these leads to a diminished spiritual standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself is ethical in tone; it sits within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Varanasi) narrative frame but does not name a specific tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it emphasizes moral discipline and proper conduct.