Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 181
Devanagari script
उपकारिषु यः साधुः साधुत्वे तस्य को गुणः । अपकारिषु यः साधुः कीर्त्यते जनैः
Transliteration
upakāriṣu yaḥ sādhuḥ sādhutve tasya ko guṇaḥ | apakāriṣu yaḥ sādhuḥ kīrtyate janaiḥ
Translation
ผู้ใดเป็นคนดีต่อผู้มีพระคุณเท่านั้น ความดีนั้นจะมีคุณวิเศษอันใดเล่า? แต่ผู้ใดเป็นคนดีแม้ต่อผู้ที่ทำร้ายตน ผู้นั้นย่อมได้รับการสรรเสริญจากชนทั้งหลาย
Word by Word
उपकारिषुamong benefactors
उपकारिषु:
Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootउपकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; 'उपकारिन्' इति कर्तरि-शब्दः (benefactor)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः (relative pronoun)
साधुःa good man
साधुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसाधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'सज्जनः/धर्मात्मा'
साधुत्वेin goodness / in being good
साधुत्वे:
Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसाधुत्व (प्रातिपदिक; तद्धित-भाव)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक-शब्दः (state of goodness)
तस्यof him
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
कःwhat? / which?
कः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचकः
गुणःvirtue
गुणः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अपकारिषुamong harm-doers
अपकारिषु:
Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअपकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'अपकारिन्' (harm-doer)
यःwho
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचकः
साधुःa good man
साधुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसाधु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
कीर्त्यतेis praised
कीर्त्यते:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकीर्त् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातुः: कीर्त् (to praise/celebrate)
जनैःby people
जनैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन
Speaker
Guru
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A calm sage instructs a disciple: two contrasting vignettes—one man courteous only to a benefactor; another serene and forgiving toward an aggressor—highlighting the higher virtue of forbearance.
FAQs
Real virtue is tested in adversity: being good to those who harm you is the mark of a true sādhu.
No particular tīrtha is named in this verse.
No ritual; it prescribes compassionate conduct and forbearance as dharmic practice.