Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अमर्षे कर्षति मनो मनोभू संभवः कुतः । विधुंतुदे तुदत्युच्चैर्विधुं कुत्रास्ति कौमुदी

Transliteration

amarṣe karṣati mano manobhū saṃbhavaḥ kutaḥ | vidhuṃtude tudatyuccairvidhuṃ kutrāsti kaumudī

Translation

إذا جرّ نفادُ الصبر والسخطُ العقلَ جرًّا، فكيف ينهض إلهُ الحب على وجهٍ سليم؟ وإذا ضُرِب القمرُ بعنفٍ بداء «ضربة القمر»، فأين تبقى روعةُ ضيائه المهدِّئ؟

Word by Word

• अमर्षे: in intolerance/anger
• अमर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• कर्षति: drags; pulls
• कर्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मनःभूः: Mind-born (Kāma)
• मनःभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (मनसः भूः = mind-born, i.e., Kāma)

• सम्भवः: arising; origin
• सम्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु) → सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कुतः: from where? how?
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/how)

• विधुंतुदे: when the ‘moon-striker’ (eclipse-causer) is present
• विधुंतुदे: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधुंतुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण; (नाम: ‘moon-striker’, i.e., Rāhu/केतु-प्रकार)

• तुदति: pierces; strikes
• तुदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उच्चैः: high; loudly
• उच्चैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: loudly/highly)

• विधुम्: the moon
• विधुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म; (विधु = चन्द्र)

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कौमुदी: moonlight; the moonlit night
• कौमुदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमुदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration; aphoristic teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heart/mind depicted as a chariot being dragged by ‘Amarṣa’; Kāma stands unable to arise; above, the moon is struck by an affliction, and its moonlight fades over the Ganga.

Characters & Entities

• Manobhū (Kāma)
• Kaumudī (moonlight, as image)
• Vidhu (moon, as image)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Resentment destabilizes the mind and destroys the conditions for harmony; peace is as fragile as moonlight before affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a moral reflection within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s teaching flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is contemplative instruction encouraging the removal of amarṣa (resentment) for inner clarity.