Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

विषलोहायुधानां च दासीगोवाजिनामपि । विक्रेताऽसौ सदा मूढस्तथा वै केशचर्मणाम्

Transliteration

viṣalohāyudhānāṃ ca dāsīgovājināmapi | vikretā'sau sadā mūḍhastathā vai keśacarmaṇām

Translation

那迷妄之人常以毒物与铁制兵器为卖；甚至贩卖女奴、牛与马——亦交易头发与皮革。

Word by Word

• विष: of poison
• विष: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• लोह: of iron
• लोह: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• आयुधानाम्: of weapons
• आयुधानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

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

• दासी: of female slaves
• दासी: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• गो: of cows
• गो: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः); षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• वाजिनाम्: of horses
• वाजिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थे (also/even)

• विक्रेता: seller, trader
• विक्रेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + क्री (धातु) → विक्रेतृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—तृच् (agent noun); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन

• असौ: that man, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• मूढः: deluded, foolish
• मूढः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘असौ’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/अनुकरणार्थक (thus, likewise)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• केश: of hair
• केश: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• चर्मणाम्: of hides/skins
• चर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive); बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A marketplace vignette: the deluded man sells poison and iron weapons; nearby are chained slaves and penned cattle/horses; bundles of hair and hides hang—an image of commerce steeped in harm, contrasted with the unseen sanctity of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Livelihood that harms beings—through violence, exploitation, or trafficking—is condemned as heavy adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Kāśīkhaṇḍa about Kāśī, but this verse is ethical instruction rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse lists sinful trades to establish culpability and karmic consequence.