Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

शिवभक्तान्समालोक्य किंचिच्च परिदित्सुकान् । गर्हयेद्वैष्णवान्सर्वाञ्शैवलिंगोपजीवकः

Transliteration

śivabhaktānsamālokya kiṃcicca pariditsukān | garhayedvaiṣṇavānsarvāñśaivaliṃgopajīvakaḥ

Translation

جب وہ شیو بھکتوں کو دیکھتا جو ذرا سی مدد کے طالب ہوتے، تو—شیو کے لِنگ کی خدمت پر جینے والا ہو کر بھی—تمام ویشنوؤں کو ملامت کرتا۔

Word by Word

• śiva-bhaktān: devotees of Śiva
• śiva-bhaktān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; ‘śivasya bhaktāḥ’), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• samālokya: having observed
• samālokya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+ā+lok (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), ‘having looked at/observed’

• kiṃcit: somewhat, a little
• kiṃcit: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (indeclinable: somewhat/a little)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• pariditsukān: desirous of seeing/inspecting
• pariditsukān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari+didṛkṣu (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative adjective from √dṛś)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (śivabhaktān इति विशेष्यस्य)

• garhayed: should censure
• garhayed: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garh (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• vaiṣṇavān: Vaiṣṇavas
• vaiṣṇavān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiṣṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (vaiṣṇavān इति विशेष्यस्य)

• śaiva-liṅga-upajīvakaḥ: one who makes a living by (displaying) Śaiva emblems
• śaiva-liṅga-upajīvakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + upajīvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; ‘śaiva-liṅgena upajīvati’), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Devadeva (Śiva) continuing the narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A temple-servant near a Śiva-liṅga accepts offerings, yet turns outward to scold Vaiṣṇava pilgrims; nearby, humble Śiva-bhaktas ask for small aid; the liṅga stands central as witness to the contradiction.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva-bhaktas
• Vaiṣṇavas
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One must not weaponize sectarian identity; living by sacred service demands humility and respect toward all devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified; the verse belongs to a Kāśī-based moral account tied to sacred institutions like liṅga-service.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it critiques unethical behavior surrounding religious livelihood and condemns devotee-censure (garhā/nindā).