Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

हठाद्वा लोकभीत्या वा स्वार्थाद्वा ब्रह्मचर्यभाक् । संकल्पयति चित्ते चेत्कृतमप्यकृतं तदा

Transliteration

haṭhādvā lokabhītyā vā svārthādvā brahmacaryabhāk | saṃkalpayati citte cetkṛtamapyakṛtaṃ tadā

Translation

إن اتّخذ المرءُ العِفّةَ قسرًا، أو خوفًا من الناس، أو طلبًا لمصلحةٍ لنفسه، ثم ظلّ في قلبه يُضمر الشهوة، فحينئذٍ يصير ما فُعِل ظاهرًا كأنّه لم يُفعل.

Word by Word

• हठात्: from compulsion/forcefully
• हठात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (by force)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• लोकभीत्या: by fear of society/people
• लोकभीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; लोकस्य भीतिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; कारणे (out of fear of people)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• स्वार्थात्: from self-interest
• स्वार्थात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; स्वस्य अर्थः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; हेतौ (for one’s own interest)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• ब्रह्मचर्यभाक्: one who adopts brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यभाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य + भज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भज् धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘भाक्’ = भजति/भजमानः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ब्रह्मचर्यं भजते इति (one who undertakes celibacy)

• संकल्पयति: forms/imagines (a resolve)
• संकल्पयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संकल्पय् (धातु; √कॢप् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (done)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/even)

• अकृतम्: undone/not done
• अकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘not done’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker in Kāśī sits near a ghat at dawn, outwardly austere, while within the mind a shadowy form of desire persists; a luminous inner flame (viveka) challenges the shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Saṃkalpa (mental intention)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline must be sincere; inner intention determines the true value of outward restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s moral instruction in the Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it critiques insincere observance driven by fear, compulsion, or selfish motives.