Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

क्व सा पर्वतदेशीया चंद्रकांतशिलोद्भवा । दीपिका व्यग्रहस्ताग्रा सालंकृच्छालभंजिका

Transliteration

kva sā parvatadeśīyā caṃdrakāṃtaśilodbhavā | dīpikā vyagrahastāgrā sālaṃkṛcchālabhaṃjikā

Translation

Wo ist jene Lampe aus dem Bergland, entsprossen dem Chandrakānta-Stein? Ihre Flamme zittert an der Spitze der unruhigen Hand; reich geschmückt, als überstrahle sie den Glanz eines Palastes.

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सा: she/that (woman)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• पर्वतदेशीया: from the mountain region
• पर्वतदेशीया: Visheshana (Qualifier of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत-देशीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पर्वतस्य देशीयः)

• चन्द्रकान्तशिलोद्भवा: arisen from moonstone rock
• चन्द्रकान्तशिलोद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier of सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्रकान्त-शिला-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रकान्तशिलायाः उद्भवा)

• दीपिका: a lamp; little lamp
• दीपिका: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• व्यग्र: agitated, restless
• व्यग्र: Visheshana (Qualifier within compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (in compound context)

• हस्त: hand
• हस्त: Sambandha (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• अग्रा: having the tip/front
• अग्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier of दीपिका)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण; (समासान्त-पद)

• व्यग्रहस्ताग्रा: whose hand/tip is restless (trembling)
• व्यग्रहस्ताग्रा: Visheshana (Qualifier of दीपिका)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यग्र + हस्त + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्या हस्तः व्यग्रः, अग्रं च/अग्रभागः)

• सालंकृत: well-adorned
• सालंकृत: Visheshana (compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अलंकृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, past passive participle) अलंकृत; उपसर्ग-सहित; (compound member)

• छाल: bark; skin
• छाल: Sambandha (compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (compound member)

• भंजिका: a breaker/one that splits; (fem.)
• भंजिका: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भंजिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (समासान्त-पद)

• सालंकृच्छालभंजिका: the bark-splitting (thing) adorned (with ornaments)
• सालंकृच्छालभंजिका: Karta (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-अलंकृत + छाल + भंजिका (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अलंकृता छाला यस्याः/या छालं भञ्जयति)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly adorned lamp, said to be born of moonstone from a mountain land, trembles in a graceful hand; its flame competes with the brilliance of a palace-like mansion, suggesting nocturnal Kāśī with shimmering light.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets a narrative tone: worldly beauty and refinement are described, but the surrounding story moves toward discernment and dharma rather than mere ornamentation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (glorification of Kāśī/Varanasi), though this particular verse is a poetic detail within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse.