Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

जितेंद्रियास्तपोनिष्ठाः पंचार्थज्ञाननिर्मलाः । भस्मकूटशया दाताः सुशीला ऊर्ध्वरेतसः

Transliteration

jiteṃdriyāstaponiṣṭhāḥ paṃcārthajñānanirmalāḥ | bhasmakūṭaśayā dātāḥ suśīlā ūrdhvaretasaḥ

Translation

هم قاهرون للحواس، ثابتون في التَّقشّف، مطهَّرون بمعرفة المبادئ الخمسة؛ ينامون على أكوام الرماد، أسخياء بالعطاء، حسنو السيرة، ويحفظون طاقتهم الحيوية صاعدةً إلى العلوّ (عفّة تامّة).

Word by Word

• jita: conquered
• jita: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ji (जि धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे समासपूर्वपद; ‘जित’ = conquered

• indriyāḥ: senses
• indriyāḥ: Karma (Object within compound/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indriya (इन्द्रिय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध

• jita-indriyāḥ: having conquered the senses
• jita-indriyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (√ji+क्त) + indriya (इन्द्रिय)
• Form: बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा; तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारयवत्/उपपद-तत्पुरुष): ‘जितानि इन्द्रियाणि येषाम्/यैः’—अर्थतः ‘sense-controlled’

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Sambandha (Qualifier within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (तपस्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपद

• niṣṭhāḥ: steadfast
• niṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣṭhā (निष्ठा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगे प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘निष्ठ’ भावे ‘निष्ठा’—steadfast

• tapo-niṣṭhāḥ: steadfast in austerity
• tapo-niṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas (तपस्) + niṣṭha/niṣṭhā (निष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘तपसि निष्ठा येषाम्’

• pañca: five
• pañca: Sambandha (Numerical modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (numeral)

• artha: categories/meanings
• artha: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (अर्थ-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासे मध्यपद

• jñāna: knowledge
• jñāna: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (ज्ञान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासे मध्यपद

• nirmalāḥ: pure/spotless
• nirmalāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirmala (निर्मल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• pañca-artha-jñāna-nirmalāḥ: purified by knowledge of the five categories
• pañca-artha-jñāna-nirmalāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca + artha + jñāna + nirmala
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘पञ्चार्थज्ञानात् निर्मलाः’ (purified by knowledge of the five categories)

• bhasma: ashes
• bhasma: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (भस्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासे पूर्वपद

• kūṭa: heap/pile
• kūṭa: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūṭa (कूट-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासे मध्यपद

• śayāḥ: lying/sleeping
• śayāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaya (शय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘शय’ = lying/bed; here ‘lying on’ sense

• bhasma-kūṭa-śayāḥ: lying on heaps of ash
• bhasma-kūṭa-śayāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhasman + kūṭa + śaya
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘भस्मकूटे शयाः’ (those who lie on heaps of ash)

• dātāḥ: givers/donors
• dātāḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √dā (दा धातु) + तृच् (तृच्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• suśīlāḥ: well-conducted/virtuous
• suśīlāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + śīla (सु + शील-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘सुशीलाः’ = good-natured/virtuous

• ūrdhva: upward
• ūrdhva: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (ऊर्ध्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक; समासे पूर्वपद

• retasaḥ: semen/sexual energy
• retasaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: retas (रेतस्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (retasaḥ as nom.pl. in -as stems); समासे उत्तरपद

• ūrdhva-retasaḥ: celibate (with upward-directed energy)
• ūrdhva-retasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva + retas
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘ऊर्ध्वं रेतः येषाम्’ (those whose sexual energy is directed upward; celibate)

Speaker

Skanda (continuing Śiva’s description in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of ash-smeared ascetics, serene and disciplined, seated or reclining on ash-heaps (bhasma-kūṭa), with calm faces, upright posture, and gestures of giving; subtle aura of inner heat (tapas).

Characters & Entities

• Pāśupata devotees
• Ash (bhasma)
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity arises from restraint, austerity, right knowledge, and generosity—outer simplicity reflects inner mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as a field where such Pāśupata siddhas live and attain purity through Liṅga-centered dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse points to ascetic observances (tapas), use of bhasma, and dāna (charity) as integral disciplines.