Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तीर्थे तपस्युपकृतौ सदाचारादिकर्मणि । फलाभिलाषिणीबुद्धिर्न येषां ते जना अमी

Transliteration

tīrthe tapasyupakṛtau sadācārādikarmaṇi | phalābhilāṣiṇībuddhirna yeṣāṃ te janā amī

Translation

Sa tīrtha, sa tapas at mga disiplina nito, at sa mga gawaing gaya ng mabuting asal—yaong mga taong ang isip ay hindi naghahangad ng bunga, sila nga ang mga tunay na mararangal.

Word by Word

• तीर्थे: in a sacred place (tīrtha)
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• उपकृतौ: in service/helpfulness
• उपकृतौ: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• सदाचारादि-कर्मणि: in acts such as good conduct
• सदाचारादि-कर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाचार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सदाचारादीनि कर्माणि यस्मिन्)

• फल-अभिलाषिणी-बुद्धिः: a mind desiring results
• फल-अभिलाषिणी-बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाषिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (फलाभिलाषिणी या बुद्धिः)

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• अमी: these (here)
• अमी: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene group of pilgrims and ascetics at a riverbank tīrtha, performing simple duties—bathing, japa, and service—without display; a calm, luminous atmosphere suggesting inner detachment.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Tapas
• Sadācāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness is desireless dharma—performing tīrtha-acts, tapas, and good conduct without craving results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha in general is praised here as a setting for pure, non-commercial spirituality within the Kāśī-māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: perform tīrtha-related acts, austerities, and sadācāra without fruit-seeking intention.