Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

निष्फलं नवसूत्सृष्टं चाटचारणतस्करे । कुवैद्ये कितवे धूर्ते शठे मल्ले च बंदिनि

Transliteration

niṣphalaṃ navasūtsṛṣṭaṃ cāṭacāraṇataskare | kuvaidye kitave dhūrte śaṭhe malle ca baṃdini

Translation

“九种布施”若施与谄媚者、歌功颂德的艺人、盗贼、庸医、赌徒、奸徒、欺诈者、好斗之人及狱吏，便成无果之施。

Word by Word

• निष्फलम्: fruitless
• निष्फलम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्ग/निपातपूर्वक विशेषण

• नवसूत्सृष्टम्: produced by a new charioteer (i.e., inexperienced one)
• नवसूत्सृष्टम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव + सूत + सृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सृज्)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष समास (नवेन सूतेन सृष्टम्/निर्मितम्); भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चाटचारणतस्करे: in a flatterer, bard, or thief
• चाटचारणतस्करे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाट + चारण + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व समास (चाटश्च चारणश्च तस्करश्च); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुवैद्ये: in a quack doctor
• कुवैद्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु + वैद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कितवे: in a gambler/cheat
• कितवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कितव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धूर्ते: in a rogue
• धूर्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शठे: in a deceitful person
• शठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मल्ले: in a wrestler/strongman
• मल्ले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• बन्दिनि: in a panegyrist/prisoner (bandin)
• बन्दिनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्दिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (इकारान्त)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-donor at a ghat is surrounded by various unworthy figures—flatterer with exaggerated gestures, bard with drum, thief lurking, quack with false medicines, gambler with dice, rogue with sly face, deceiver with mask, fighter with club, jailer with keys—while a sage points the donor toward a humble worthy recipient in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity must be guided by discernment; giving to harmful or deceitful persons destroys the intended spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the teaching belongs to the Kāśī-centered discourse on dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is regulated by recipient-eligibility; the verse lists categories to avoid.