Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

शूद्रान्नसेविनो विप्रा जिह्वाला अतिलालसाः । संध्यास्नानजपेज्यासु दूरीकृत मनोधियः

Transliteration

śūdrānnasevino viprā jihvālā atilālasāḥ | saṃdhyāsnānajapejyāsu dūrīkṛta manodhiyaḥ

Translation

婆罗门竟成食他人之食者，舌常贪求而过度贪婪；其心与慧被远离于晨昏礼（sandhyā）、沐浴、持诵（japa）与供奉礼拜。

Word by Word

• शूद्रान्नसेविनः: eating/serving Śūdra food
• शूद्रान्नसेविनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न + सेविन् (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शूद्रस्य अन्नं सेवते इति)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• जिह्वालाः: tongue-driven/gluttonous
• जिह्वालाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (one who is tongue-driven/gluttonous)

• अतिलालसाः: excessively greedy
• अतिलालसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + लालस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (अतिशयेन लालसाः)

• संध्यास्नानजपेज्यासु: in (matters of) twilight-prayer, bathing, japa, and worship
• संध्यास्नानजपेज्यासु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या + स्नान + जप + इज्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (संध्या, स्नान, जप, इज्या) अधिकरण (in regard to)

• दूरीकृत: kept far away
• दूरीकृत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूरि (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + कृ (धातु) → दूरीकृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (पाठानुसारं 'दूरीकृताः' अपेक्षितम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (made far/kept away)

• मनोधियः: mind and intellect
• मनोधियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (मनः च धियः च)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (ghāṭa-sandhyā context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī or immediate Kāśīkhaṇḍa interlocutor (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a brāhmaṇa in sacred thread sits distracted by rich food offerings, tongue extended in craving; behind him, the three sandhyā suns/moons pass while he neglects bath, japa beads, and a small altar; a contrasting disciplined brāhmaṇa performs sandhyā at the ghat.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Sandhyā
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of daily disciplines (sandhyā, snāna, japa, pūjā) and sense-driven living are shown as signs of dharmic decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; it frames the need for Kāśī’s purifying power in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā observance, bathing, japa, and ijyā (worship) are explicitly referenced as duties being neglected.