Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

दिवार्करश्मयस्तत्र प्रभां तन्वंति नातपम् । शशिनश्च न शीताय निशि द्योताय केवलम्

Transliteration

divārkaraśmayastatra prabhāṃ tanvaṃti nātapam | śaśinaśca na śītāya niśi dyotāya kevalam

Translation

Dort breiten die Sonnenstrahlen nur Glanz aus, nicht sengende Hitze; und der Mond ist nicht zur Kühle da, sondern einzig, um die Nacht zu erhellen.

Word by Word

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (by day)

• अर्करश्मयः: sun-rays
• अर्करश्मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अर्कस्य रश्मयः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• प्रभाम्: light, radiance
• प्रभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तन्वन्ति: spread, extend
• तन्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; वर्तमानकाल

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

• आतपम्: heat, scorching warmth
• आतपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शशिनः: of the moon
• शशिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

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

• शीताय: for coldness (to cool)
• शीताय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान (for the purpose of)

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्योताय: for shining/illumination
• द्योताय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्योत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Sambandha (Qualifier/विशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अव्यय (only/merely)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subterranean sky-vault or luminous canopy where sunbeams appear as soft gold rays without glare; moonlight is bright silver without frost; inhabitants move in ease amid glowing architecture.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Sūrya
• Candra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic realms are portrayed as ordered and wondrous; such beauty is still part of saṃsāric experience, implicitly pointing seekers toward the higher good promised by sacred tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frames these cosmological descriptions to magnify the merit linked with Kāśī and tīrtha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.