Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कापालिक व्रतधरः कदाचिच्चाभवद्द्विजः । कदाचिदपि विज्ञानी धातुवादी कदाचन

Transliteration

kāpālika vratadharaḥ kadāciccābhavaddvijaḥ | kadācidapi vijñānī dhātuvādī kadācana

Translation

تارةً كان يحمل نذر الكاباليكا، وتارةً يصير دْفِجًا، برهمنًا «مولودًا مرتين». وأحيانًا يظهر عالمًا فاضلًا، وأحيانًا متكلّمًا في علم الكيمياء، يذكر تحويل المعادن.

Word by Word

• कापालिकः: a Kāpālika ascetic
• कापालिकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्रतधरः: vow-bearer/one observing a vow
• व्रतधरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—व्रत-धरः = व्रतं धरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

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

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

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

• विज्ञानी: a learned man/knower
• विज्ञानी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धातुवादी: one who speaks of minerals/alchemy theorist
• धातुवादी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—धातु-वाडी = धातूनां वादी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कदाचन: at some time
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at some time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The same figure appears in alternating guises: a skull-bearing Kāpālika with ash-smeared body, then a dignified brāhmaṇa with sacred thread and manuscript, then a ‘learned’ alchemist displaying crucibles—each scene set against Kāśī’s lanes and ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpālika
• dvija
• dhātuvāda (alchemy/metals lore)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Status (dvija), sectarian vows, or specialized knowledge can be adopted as masks; dharma requires inner truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as a place where many paths and sect-identities appear—demanding discernment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Kāpālika vow is named, but no procedure or observance details are given in this verse.