Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

किं नः स्तुत्या तव नृप द्विजानामस्पृहावताम् । किं कुर्मस्त्वद्गुणग्रामाः स्तावकान्नः प्रकुर्वते

Transliteration

kiṃ naḥ stutyā tava nṛpa dvijānāmaspṛhāvatām | kiṃ kurmastvadguṇagrāmāḥ stāvakānnaḥ prakurvate

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช คำสรรเสริญของเราจะมีประโยชน์อันใดแก่พระองค์ ในเมื่อพวกเราพราหมณ์ไร้ความใคร่ปรารถนา? ถึงกระนั้นเราจะทำอย่างไรได้—หมู่คุณความดีของพระองค์บีบให้เราต้องเป็นผู้สรรเสริญพระองค์

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• नः: for us/to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th) बहुवचन-रूप; अत्र ‘for us/to us’ अर्थे (दत्तिवत्)

• स्तुत्या: by praise/with praise
• स्तुत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• द्विजानाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अस्पृहावताम्: of the desireless/unattached
• अस्पृहावताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + स्पृहावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (द्विजानाम्)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कुर्मः: do we do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वत्: your
• त्वत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन-रूप; समासपूर्वपद

• गुणग्रामाः: clusters/collections of qualities
• गुणग्रामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुणानां ग्रामाः = गुणसमूहाः)

• स्तावकान्: praisers/eulogists
• स्तावकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नः: for us/to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी बहुवचन-रूप; अत्र ‘for us’ अर्थे

• प्रकुर्वते: produce/bring about
• प्रकुर्वते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divodāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa speaker, calm and detached, admits praise is unnecessary for the king yet unavoidable due to the king’s virtues; the king listens with humility.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Praise is not flattery when it arises from desirelessness and is compelled by genuine virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse reflects on stuti (eulogy) as a response to dharmic excellence.