Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

ये निंदंति महादेवं क्षेत्रं निंदंति येऽधियः । पुराणं ये च निंदंति ते संभाष्या न कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

ye niṃdaṃti mahādevaṃ kṣetraṃ niṃdaṃti ye'dhiyaḥ | purāṇaṃ ye ca niṃdaṃti te saṃbhāṣyā na kutracit

Translation

凡诋毁摩诃提婆者，凡愚迷而诋毁圣域 Kṣetra（迦尸 Kāśī）者，及诋毁《往世书》（Purāṇa）者——与此等人，处处皆不应交谈。

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• निन्दन्ति: criticize, revile
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + देवः (महादेवः)

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/place (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निन्दन्ति: criticize
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

• अधियः: (their) understandings/intellects
• अधियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अधि’ = बुद्धि/समझ (contextual)

• पुराणम्: the Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम

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

• निन्दन्ति: criticize
• निन्दन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• सम्भाष्याः: to be spoken with / fit to be conversed with
• सम्भाष्याः: Vidhyartha (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भाष् (धातु) → सम्भाष्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-अर्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; निषेधेन ‘न सम्भाष्याः’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya / pilgrims of Kāśī (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Kāśī: a sage instructs disciples to avoid conversing with blasphemers; in the background rise Viśvanātha’s spires and the Gaṅgā ghāṭas, symbolizing the sanctity being defended.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Kāśī-kṣetra
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guard one’s speech and association: blasphemy of Śiva, Kāśī, and scripture is treated as a grave adharma to be avoided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra (Vārāṇasī), revered as a supremely sacred field connected with Mahādeva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse gives an ethical injunction about avoiding conversation/association with blasphemers.