Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

विपक्षपरिभूतेन हृतमानेन केनचित् । परिभ्रष्टश्रिया वापि तप्तव्यं तेषु को भवान्

Transliteration

vipakṣaparibhūtena hṛtamānena kenacit | paribhraṣṭaśriyā vāpi taptavyaṃ teṣu ko bhavān

Translation

若有人为仇敌所辱，或被人夺去名誉，乃至失落富贵，则当修行苦行；可你又算是其中哪一类人呢？

Word by Word

• विपक्षपरिभूतेन: by one overpowered by enemies
• विपक्षपरिभूतेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपक्ष + परि-√भू (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (परिभूत) ‘overpowered’ + तत्पुरुषः (विपक्षेण/विपक्षैः परिभूतः)

• हृतमानेन: by one whose honor is taken away / with honor lost
• हृतमानेन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत + मान (प्रातिपदिक) / √हृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (हृत) + कर्मधारयः (हृतं मानं यस्य/येन)

• केनचित्: by someone
• केनचित्: Karaṇa (Agent/instrument in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थे ‘चित्’ (indefinite)

• परिभ्रष्टश्रिया: with prosperity fallen away / having lost fortune
• परिभ्रष्टश्रिया: Karaṇa/Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-√भ्रंश् (धातु) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (परिभ्रष्ट) + तत्पुरुषः (श्रिया परिभ्रष्टः)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunctive connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• तप्तव्यम्: should be undergone/practiced (as penance)
• तप्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘should be practiced (as penance)’

• तेषु: in those (cases)
• तेषु: Adhikaraṇa (Reference: in those situations)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sunīti (contextual objection to Dhruva’s tapas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience in the kathā frame (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker lists causes that drive people to austerity—enemy humiliation, stolen honor, fallen prosperity—then points pointedly at the listener: ‘Who are you among such?’ The listener appears conflicted.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames tapas as commonly arising from suffering or loss, thereby questioning premature renunciation without worldly cause.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only a general statement that people undertake tapas after disgrace or misfortune; no specific rite is described.