Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । देवदेवजगन्नाथ जगतां हितकृत्प्रभो । कीकसं चेत्पतेद्दैवाद्दुर्वृत्तस्य दुरात्मनः

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | devadevajagannātha jagatāṃ hitakṛtprabho | kīkasaṃ cetpateddaivāddurvṛttasya durātmanaḥ

Translation

พระวิษณุตรัสว่า: โอ้เทวะเหนือเทวะทั้งปวง พระผู้เป็นเจ้าของจักรวาล ผู้ทรงเกื้อกูลโลกทั้งหลาย—โอ้พระผู้เป็นนาย! หากด้วยอำนาจแห่งชะตา กระดูกของคนทุศีลผู้ใจชั่วตกลงไป ณ ที่นั้น...

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवदेवजगन्नाथ: O Lord of gods, Lord of the world
• देवदेवजगन्नाथ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + जगत् + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां देवः; जगतः नाथः)

• जगताम्: of the worlds/beings
• जगताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• हितकृत्: O doer of good
• हितकृत्: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + कृत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (हितं करोति इति)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• कीकसम्: a bone/skeleton (remains)
• कीकसम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीकस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as प्रथमा (subject)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-समुच्चय/शर्त (conditional particle)

• पतेत्: should fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दैवात्: by fate/accidentally
• दैवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (ablative of cause)

• दुर्वृत्तस्य: of the wicked-conducted
• दुर्वृत्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुष्टं वृत्तं यस्य)

• दुरात्मनः: of the evil-souled person
• दुरात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुष्ट आत्मा यस्य)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (pāpa-hara jala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (addressed as Devadeva, Jagannātha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, in regal calm, addresses a supreme Lord (Śiva implied by Kāśī context) with folded hands; behind them, Gaṅgā flows, symbolizing the question’s setting.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Devadeva (Śiva implied)
• Jagannātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse introduces a dharma-question: how sacred context (Gaṅgā) interacts with the karma of a morally corrupt person.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question presupposes Gaṅgā’s sanctity (continued from prior verses) within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription—this is a theological inquiry about the consequence of a sinner’s bone/remains coming into the sacred setting.