Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

याचकाश्चावदान्याश्च नित्यं स्वज्ञानघातकाः । आत्मसंभाविताः स्तब्धाः परस्परविनिंदकाः

Transliteration

yācakāścāvadānyāśca nityaṃ svajñānaghātakāḥ | ātmasaṃbhāvitāḥ stabdhāḥ parasparaviniṃdakāḥ

Translation

“(พวกเขา) กลายเป็นทั้งผู้ขอทาน และแม้ผู้เลื่องชื่อว่าใจกว้าง—ทำลายปัญญาของตนอยู่เนืองนิตย์; หลงตน ทระนงแข็งกระด้าง และติเตียนกันและกัน”

Word by Word

• याचकाः: beggars
• याचकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अवदान्याः: generous
• अवदान्याः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवदान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘याचकाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘always’)

• स्वज्ञानघातकाः: destroyers of their own knowledge
• स्वज्ञानघातकाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + ज्ञान + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य ज्ञानस्य घातकाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• आत्मसंभाविताः: self-conceited / self-regarding
• आत्मसंभाविताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् + सम्भावित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (आत्मानं सम्भाविताः = आत्मनि सम्भावना कृतवन्तः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्तब्धाः: arrogant / stiff
• स्तब्धाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्तब्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (from स्तभ्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• परस्परविनिंदकाः: mutual slanderers
• परस्परविनिंदकाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परस्पर + विनिन्दक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (परस्परं विनिन्दन्ति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Cursed cohort (sages and associated figures)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Once-venerable figures appear as quarrelsome mendicants and ostentatious donors: one hand extended in begging, another displaying gifts, while their faces show arrogance and mutual contempt.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and self-importance erode true knowledge, leading to mutual blame and spiritual decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kedāra/Kedārakhaṇḍa, connected with Kedarnath-region Śaiva sacred geography, though this verse itself is ethical in focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it describes a moral/spiritual consequence.