Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

अत्रिरुवाच । अनास्वादितगोविंदपदांबुजरजोरसः । मनोरथपथातीतं स्फीतं नाकलयेत्पदम्

Transliteration

atriruvāca | anāsvāditagoviṃdapadāṃbujarajorasaḥ | manorathapathātītaṃ sphītaṃ nākalayetpadam

Translation

Atri sprach: „Wer den nektargleichen Staub von Govindas Lotosfüßen nicht gekostet hat, kann jenen weiten Zustand nicht erfassen, der jenseits der Pfade weltlichen Begehrens liegt.“

Word by Word

• atriḥ: Atri (sage)
• atriḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (अत्रि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता); एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• anāsvādita-govinda-pada-ambuja-rajaḥ-rasaḥ: (one) who has not tasted the essence of the dust of Govinda’s lotus-feet
• anāsvādita-govinda-pada-ambuja-rajaḥ-rasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-āsvādita (आस्वाद् धातु, क्त) + govinda (गोविन्द प्रातिपदिक) + pada (पद प्रातिपदिक) + ambuja (अम्बुज प्रातिपदिक) + rajas (रजस् प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (रस प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता/विधेय); एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषप्रधानः (govinda-pada-ambuja-rajasaḥ rasaḥ = 'the essence of the dust of Govinda's lotus-feet'); अनास्वादित (negated past participle) as qualifier

• manoratha-patha-atītam: beyond the path/range of imagination
• manoratha-patha-atītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manoratha (मनोरथ प्रातिपदिक) + patha (पथ प्रातिपदिक) + atīta (अति-इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (manorathasya pathāt atītam)

• sphītam: vast, abundant
• sphītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphīta (स्फीत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म); एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• akalayet: would comprehend/should grasp
• akalayet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a-kal (कल् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारेण निषेध (na + akalayet)

• padam: state/position/goal
• padam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (पद प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म); एकवचन

Speaker

Atri

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhruva (contextual) / assembled sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Atri speaks with serene authority; a symbolic vision shows Govinda’s lotus-feet, with radiant dust like nectar, while worldly desire-paths fade into mist.

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Govinda
• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct devotional ‘taste’ (anubhava) of Govinda’s grace is what reveals the supramundane state beyond desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies Govinda-bhakti itself (a portable ‘tīrtha’ through devotion).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, devotion centered on Govinda’s feet—commonly expressed through japa, dhyāna, and worship.