Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

नालोकयेद्दिशोभागाञ्ज्योतिश्चक्रं नभोमलम् । वामेन पाणिना शिश्नं धृत्वोत्तिष्ठेत्प्रयत्नवान्

Transliteration

nālokayeddiśobhāgāñjyotiścakraṃ nabhomalam | vāmena pāṇinā śiśnaṃ dhṛtvottiṣṭhetprayatnavān

Translation

দিশাৰ ফালবোৰলৈ নাচাই, জ্যোতি-চক্ৰ বা নিৰ্মল আকাশলৈও দৃষ্টি নেদিব। বাওঁ হাতে গুহ্য অঙ্গ ধৰি, যত্নসহ সাৱধানতাৰে উঠিব।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• आलोकयेत्: should look at
• आलोकयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन

• भागान्: parts/regions
• भागान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन

• ज्योतिःचक्रम्: circle of light (sun/moon disk)
• ज्योतिःचक्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• नभोमलम्: sky-impurity (stain in the sky)
• नभोमलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• वामेन: with the left
• वामेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘pāṇinā’)

• पाणिना: with the hand
• पाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• शिश्नम्: penis
• शिश्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिश्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• धृत्वा: having held
• धृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive), ‘having held’

• उत्तिष्ठेत्: should stand up
• उत्तिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्√स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विध्यर्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नवान्: one who is diligent/with effort
• प्रयत्नवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत्नवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained householder in a secluded spot near Kāśī, rising carefully after evacuation, eyes lowered, maintaining modesty and ritual attentiveness; distant suggestion of Gaṅgā ghāṭas and temple spires without explicit depiction of the act.

Characters & Entities

• Directions (Diś)
• Luminaries (Jyotiṣ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint and modesty are integral to purity; mindfulness governs even private actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; it is a general śauca rule preserved within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not look around or at the sky/luminaries; rise carefully, maintaining bodily control (left-hand hold prescribed).