Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

निर्द्वंद्वचरणद्वंद्वं तन्मनो मनुते हरेः । हित्वान्यन्मननं सर्वं निश्चलत्वमवाप ह

Transliteration

nirdvaṃdvacaraṇadvaṃdvaṃ tanmano manute hareḥ | hitvānyanmananaṃ sarvaṃ niścalatvamavāpa ha

Translation

Sein Geist sinnt über Haris Paar Füße nach, jenseits aller Zweiheit; indem er jedes andere Denken aufgibt, erlangt er unbewegliche Standhaftigkeit.

Word by Word

• निर्द्वन्द्वचरणद्वन्द्वम्: the pair of feet free from dualities
• निर्द्वन्द्वचरणद्वन्द्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nir + dvaṃdva + caraṇa + dvaṃdva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (निर्द्वन्द्वं यत् चरण-द्वन्द्वम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (तस्य)

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मनुते: thinks of, contemplates
• मनुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having abandoned’

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मननम्: reflection, thinking
• मननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निश्चलत्वम्: steadiness, immovability
• निश्चलत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niścalatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अवाप: attained
• अवाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + √āp (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed, narrative particle)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A still, inward-turned devotee seated near the Ganga at twilight; above the heart-lotus appears Hari’s radiant feet. Around him, the world’s dualities (gain/loss, praise/blame) are depicted as fading shadows, while the mind becomes lamp-like and unmoving.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Lotus feet (caraṇa)
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed meditation on the Lord’s feet dissolves inner dualities and grants steadiness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa, situating this meditative ideal within the liberating atmosphere of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A meditative discipline is prescribed: renounce scattered thoughts and contemplate Hari’s feet with unwavering focus.