Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नायं कलानिधेर्दोषो द्विजराजस्य तस्य वै । हित्वा त्रिनेत्रं कामेन कस्य नो खडितं मनः

Transliteration

nāyaṃ kalānidherdoṣo dvijarājasya tasya vai | hitvā trinetraṃ kāmena kasya no khaḍitaṃ manaḥ

Translation

Dies ist wahrlich nicht die Schuld jenes Herrn der Phasen, des Königs unter den Zweimalgeborenen. Denn aus Begierde verlässt man selbst den Dreiäugigen (Śiva) — wessen Geist wäre nicht gebrochen und irregeführt worden?

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kalānidheḥ: of the Moon (storehouse of digits)
• kalānidheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalānidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• doṣaḥ: fault
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvijarājasya: of the king of twice-born (Moon)
• dvijarājasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijarāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tasya: of that (one)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/demonstrative relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• hitvā: having abandoned
• hitvā: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• trinetram: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• trinetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trinetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāmena: by desire, with passion
• kāmena: Karana (Cause/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive in rhetorical question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• naḥ: of us
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive: of us)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

• khaḍitam: agitated/struck
• khaḍitam: Karta (Predicate adjective with manaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaḍita (कृदन्त; khaḍ/khad? धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues, commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vishveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: the moon-lord (Soma) shown not as villain but as a being caught in kāma’s net; in the background, a subtle presence of Śiva (Trinetra) as the unmoved axis, emphasizing contrast between disturbance and stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Candramā (Kalānidhi)
• Śiva (Trinetra)
• Kāma (desire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is a universal destabilizer; vigilance and dharmic restraint are needed even for the exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this line; it is reflective commentary within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse offers moral-theological reflection on kāma.