Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

किमुद्यमवतां पुंसां दुर्लभं हि चराचरे । ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनां स्फुंरंत्यग्रे मनोरथाः

Transliteration

kimudyamavatāṃ puṃsāṃ durlabhaṃ hi carācare | īśvarārpitabuddhīnāṃ sphuṃraṃtyagre manorathāḥ

Translation

„Für Männer des Strebens—was wäre wahrlich schwer in den Welten des Bewegten und Unbewegten? Denen, die ihren Geist dem Herrn darbringen, leuchten die Ziele voraus und gehen in Erfüllung.“

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• उद्यमवताम्: of the industrious
• उद्यमवताम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. gen. pl.)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (masc. gen. pl.)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (neut. nom./acc. sg., predicate)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Connector/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• चराचरे: in the moving and unmoving world
• चराचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (चरं च अचरं च) (neut. loc. sg.)

• ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनाम्: of those whose minds are offered to God
• ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्पित (कृदन्त; अर्प्/अर्पय् धातु + क्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ईश्वरे अर्पिता बुद्धिः येषाम्) (masc. gen. pl.)

• स्फुरन्ति: shine forth, arise
• स्फुरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd pl. pres.)

• अग्रे: ahead, before them
• अग्रे: Adhikarana/Adverbial (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण सप्तमी-एकवचन (adverbial locative: 'in front/ahead')

• मनोरथाः: wishes, desired aims
• मनोरथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

Speaker

Kanakakuṇḍala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yakṣiṇī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kanakakuṇḍala speaks with confident energy, pointing toward a shrine; a subtle radiance (manoratha ‘shining’) appears as a halo-like glow around the devoted couple.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (the Lord)
• udyama (effort)
• manoratha (aims)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When effort is joined with God-offering intention (īśvarārpita-buddhi), goals become attainable through the harmony of human striving and divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra indirectly, as the teaching belongs to its māhātmya narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the prescription is inner discipline—effort and dedicating one’s mind and actions to Īśvara.