Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्त्री बालघातका ये च ये च विश्वासघातकाः । असत्यहिंसानिरता सदा पापरताश्च ये

Transliteration

strī bālaghātakā ye ca ye ca viśvāsaghātakāḥ | asatyahiṃsāniratā sadā pāparatāśca ye

Translation

凡杀害妇女与孩童者，凡背信弃义者；沉溺于虚妄与暴行者，以及恒常乐于罪业者——亦皆在此所摄。

Word by Word

• स्त्री: women
• स्त्री: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular (used as object-class: ‘women’)

• बालघातकाः: killers of children
• बालघातकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बालानां घातकाः) — nominative plural

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun, nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun, nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विश्वासघातकाः: betrayers of trust
• विश्वासघातकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वास + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विश्वासस्य घातकाः) — nominative plural

• असत्यहिंसानिरताः: engaged in falsehood and violence
• असत्यहिंसानिरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य + हिंसा + निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (असत्ये हिंसायां च निरताः) — nominative plural

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पापरताः: devoted to sin
• पापरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पापे रताः) — nominative plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Relative pronoun, nominative plural

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Gaṅgā-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral panorama: figures symbolizing betrayal, violence, and habitual sin, contrasted with the steady presence of Gaṅgā and the possibility of ritual uplift at Kāśī’s ghāṭas.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text underscores the gravity of adharma (violence, betrayal, falsehood) while preparing the reader for the Purāṇic assurance that sacred rites, properly done, can aid even severely afflicted departed beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, in connection with the Uttaravāhinī flow of Gaṅgā, which the chapter soon exalts as uniquely purifying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The ritual details are developed in subsequent verses: tarpaṇa with Gaṅgā water, śrāddha, and piṇḍa-dāna.