Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

शाणेन मणिवल्लीढा कृशाप्यायादनर्घताम् । तथापि तपसा क्षामा दिदीपे तत्तनुस्तराम्

Transliteration

śāṇena maṇivallīḍhā kṛśāpyāyādanarghatām | tathāpi tapasā kṣāmā didīpe tattanustarām

Translation

ككرمةٍ من جوهر صقلها حجرُ السنّ، مع أنها نحلت نالت قيمةً لا تُقدَّر؛ ومع أنها أضناها التَّبَس، أشرق جسدها بضياءٍ أشد.

Word by Word

• शाणेन: by a whetstone, by polishing
• शाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• मणिवल्लीढा: polished as if by a jewel
• मणिवल्लीढा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणि + वल्लीढ (√लिह्/√लीढ् + क्त, ‘लीढ’ as ppp)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘मणिना वल्लीढा’ (licked/polished by a gem)

• कृशा: thin, emaciated
• कृशा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अप्यायात्: attained, came to
• अप्यायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपि + आ√या (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘अपि’ उपसर्ग/निपात-संयुक्त (api + āyāt)

• अनर्घताम्: pricelessness, great value
• अनर्घताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्घता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तथापि: even so, nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-सदृश संयुक्त-अव्यय (adverbial)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• क्षामा: wasted, weakened
• क्षामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दिदीपे: shone
• दिदीपे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दीप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (to तनु)

• तनुः: body
• तनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तराम्: more (brightly/excellently)
• तराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तर (प्रातिपदिक; तृतीय-तुल्य/तमतम-भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अतिशयार्थ (comparative/‘more’)—क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thin ascetic maiden glowing with an inner light; the simile of a jewel-creeper polished by a whetstone is visualized as a luminous vine motif behind her, suggesting refinement through friction.

Characters & Entities

• Dhūtapāpā
• whetstone (śāṇa)
• jewel (maṇi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity may reduce the body, but it increases spiritual worth and inner luminosity—like a gem refined by polishing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse serves the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of purification; it does not identify a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is listed; the practice emphasized is sustained tapas leading to purification and radiance.