Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

लताप्रतानैः परितो वेष्टितावयवाश्च ये । सस्यानि च प्ररूढानि यदंगेषु चिरस्थिति

Transliteration

latāpratānaiḥ parito veṣṭitāvayavāśca ye | sasyāni ca prarūḍhāni yadaṃgeṣu cirasthiti

Translation

Manche haben ihre Glieder ringsum von sich ausbreitenden Ranken umwunden; ja, selbst Gräser und Pflanzen sind auf ihren Körpern gewachsen, weil sie so lange unbewegt verweilten.

Word by Word

• latā-pratānaiḥ: by the spreads of creepers
• latā-pratānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: latā (प्रातिपदिक) + pratāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; समासः—लताप्रतानैः = लतानां प्रतानैः (creepers’ spreads)

• paritaḥ: all around
• paritaḥ: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paritaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्गार्थक/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• veṣṭita-avayavāḥ: whose limbs are wrapped
• veṣṭita-avayavāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √veṣṭ (धातु) → veṣṭita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—वेष्टितावयवाः = वेष्टिताः अवयवाः येषां ते

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• sasyāni: crops/plants
• sasyāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (वर्णनार्थ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• prarūḍhāni: grown/sprouted
• prarūḍhāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √ruh (धातु) → prarūḍha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (grown up)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (which/that)

• aṅgeṣu: on the limbs
• aṅgeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), बहुवचन

• cira-sthiti: long duration/long-standing state
• cira-sthiti: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—चिरस्थिति = चिरं स्थितिः (long-standing state)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic seated or standing unmoving for years; creepers coil around arms and torso, small grasses sprout on shoulders and thighs. The forest is quiet, light filtering through leaves, suggesting timeless meditation.

Characters & Entities

• Tapoloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unbroken stillness and unwavering resolve are celebrated as marks of consummate tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s exalted narrative, but it depicts Tapoloka ascetics rather than naming a Kāśī pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is prolonged immobility and sustained austerity (dīrgha-tapas), not a specific ceremonial rite.