Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

न तस्माद्भगवद्भक्ताद्भेतव्यं केनचित्क्वचित् । निश्चितं विष्णुभक्ता ये न ते स्युः परतापिनः

Transliteration

na tasmādbhagavadbhaktādbhetavyaṃ kenacitkvacit | niścitaṃ viṣṇubhaktā ye na te syuḥ paratāpinaḥ

Translation

任何人、在任何处，都不应畏惧主的奉献者。此事确定无疑：毗湿奴的信徒绝不会成为迫害他人的人。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• तस्मात्: from him/that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• भगवद्भक्तात्: from a devotee of the Lord
• भगवद्भक्तात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक); भगवद्भक्त (समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘भगवतः भक्तः’

• भेतव्यम्: to be feared
• भेतव्यम्: Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भी (धातु) → भेतव्य (तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘should be feared’ (negated)

• केनचित्: by anyone
• केनचित्: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite: ‘by anyone’)

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha-Kala (Adverbial/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चितार्थक (at any time/anywhere)

• निश्चितम्: certainly
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√चि (धातु) → निश्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये क्रियाविशेषणवत् (certainly)

• विष्णुभक्ताः: devotees of Viṣṇu
• विष्णुभक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक); विष्णुभक्त (समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘विष्णोः भक्ताः’

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Correlative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Potential/Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• परतापिनः: tormenters of others
• परतापिनः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + तापिन् (प्रातिपदिक); परतापिन् (समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘परान् तापयन्ति’ (afflicting others)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within Kāśī discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā proclaims a maxim: never fear the Lord’s devotee; the devas listen with softened expressions; the devotee’s aura is implied as protective rather than threatening.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇu-bhaktas
• Bhagavat (the Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Genuine devotion expresses itself as non-harm and goodwill; a true bhakta is not an aggressor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed; the verse defines the ethical mark of devotion.