Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तेषां त्रयाणां शुश्रूषा परमं तप उच्यते । तानतिक्रम्य यः कुर्यात्तन्नसिद्ध्येत्कदाचन

Transliteration

teṣāṃ trayāṇāṃ śuśrūṣā paramaṃ tapa ucyate | tānatikramya yaḥ kuryāttannasiddhyetkadācana

Translation

మాత, పిత, గురువు—ఈ ముగ్గురికి భక్తితో శుశ్రూష చేయుటనే పరమ తపస్సు అంటారు. వారిని అతిక్రమించి లేదా నిర్లక్ష్యంగా ఏ పని చేసినా అది ఎన్నటికీ సిద్ధి పొందదు.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• त्रयाणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• शुश्रूषा: service, attentive attendance
• शुश्रूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is said, is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• अतिक्रम्य: having transgressed, having overstepped
• अतिक्रम्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that (result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• सिद्ध्येत्: would succeed, would be accomplished
• सिद्ध्येत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• कदाचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal indeclinable)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble householder bows at the feet of mother, father, and seated guru; a faint aura of Kāśī’s ghāṭas and Viśvanātha spire in the background, suggesting that even in the holy city, siddhi depends on seva.

Characters & Entities

• mother
• father
• guru
• tapas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest tapas is service to mother, father, and guru; neglecting them undermines all spiritual and worldly success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī/Varanasi), where dharma is taught as integral to the sanctity of the place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śuśrūṣā (attentive service) is prescribed as a spiritual discipline, functioning like an austerity.