Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यं हि गार्हस्थ्ये यादृक्कल्पनयोज्झितम् । स्वभावचपले चित्ते क्व तादृग्ब्रह्मचारिणि

Transliteration

brahmacaryaṃ hi gārhasthye yādṛkkalpanayojjhitam | svabhāvacapale citte kva tādṛgbrahmacāriṇi

Translation

إنَّ العِفَّةَ (البراهماچاريا) في حياةِ ربِّ البيت، الخاليةَ من التكلّف والاختلاق، نادرةٌ حقًّا؛ وفي قلبٍ بطبعه متقلّب، فأين تُوجَدُ مثلُ هذه الثباتِ حتى عندَ براهماتشاري ذي نذر؟

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy; brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/विषयवाचक (contextually: topic)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• गार्हस्थ्ये: in householder life
• गार्हस्थ्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक

• यादृक्: of what kind
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘of what kind’

• कल्पनयोज्झितम्: connected with (or free from) contrivance; artificial/contrived (as read)
• कल्पनयोज्झितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्पना-योज्झित (प्रातिपदिक; योज्झित = √युज् (धातु) क्त/क्तवत्-प्रायः ‘yoked/connected’, here ‘kalpanā-yukta/yojita’ with negative sense ‘free from contrivance’ per context)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—कल्पनया (instrumental sense) योज्झितम्/योजितम्; अर्थे: ‘कल्पनया योज्झितम्/योजितम्’ (contrived) or by intended reading ‘कल्पनया उज्झितम्’ (abandoned) — पाठानुसार संयुक्तरूप

• स्वभावचपले: in (a mind) naturally fickle
• स्वभावचपले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वभाव-चपल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—स्वभावेन चपले (naturally fickle)

• चित्ते: in the mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• तादृक्: such
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘such (of that kind)’

• ब्रह्मचारिणि: in a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारिणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed householder sits in japa near a lamp, senses restrained, while temptations are personified as fleeting figures dissolving into air; beside him, a formally celibate figure appears distracted—highlighting inner steadiness over outer status.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Gārhasthya
• Brahmacārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True continence is an inner discipline of mind and intention, not merely an external status; it can be profound even in household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; it is a dharma teaching situated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it emphasizes mental steadiness and authentic self-restraint.