Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अधीतिनोपि मूर्खाश्च स्वामिनः सेवका अपि । चतुर्षु भूतग्रामेषु उत्तमाधममध्यमाः

Transliteration

adhītinopi mūrkhāśca svāminaḥ sevakā api | caturṣu bhūtagrāmeṣu uttamādhamamadhyamāḥ

Translation

మేము విద్యాభ్యాసం చేసినవారమైయుండి కూడా మూర్ఖులమయ్యాము; యజమానులమై, సేవకులమై కూడా ఉన్నాము. నాలుగు భూతసమూహాలలో ఉత్తమ, అధమ, మధ్యమ స్థితులుగా తిరిగాము.

Word by Word

• अधीतिना: by a learned person / by one who has studied
• अधीतिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), एकवचन; ‘अधीतिन्’ = अध्ययनशील/विद्वान् (one who has studied)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘also/even’

• मूर्खाः: fools
• मूर्खाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन

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

• स्वामिनः: masters, lords
• स्वामिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन

• सेवकाः: servants
• सेवकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘also/even’

• चतुर्षु: in the four
• चतुर्षु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (भूतग्रामेषु इति विशेष्ये), सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th case), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• भूतग्रामेषु: in the groups of beings
• भूतग्रामेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/7th case), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘भूतानां ग्रामः’

• उत्तमाधममध्यमाः: the best, the worst, and the middling
• उत्तमाधममध्यमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम + अधम + मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (co-ordinative)

Speaker

Pilgrims/supplicants (addressing Śiva in Kāśī; contextually within Skanda’s narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of weary beings—some dressed as scholars, some as servants, some as nobles—stand on a Kāśī ghat at dawn, confessing the futility of their shifting statuses; the skyline shows temple spires and the river’s calm expanse.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere learning or social rank is unstable across births; true jñāna is a divine gift that ends the cycle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the background; the chapter moves toward the saving power of Śiva/Dharmēśvara’s darśana in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated.