Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

गरलं गलनालिकातले विलसेदस्य न तेन तापितः । अमृतांशु तुषारदीधिति प्रचयैरेव तु तापितोऽद्भुतम्

Transliteration

garalaṃ galanālikātale vilasedasya na tena tāpitaḥ | amṛtāṃśu tuṣāradīdhiti pracayaireva tu tāpito'dbhutam

Translation

Obwohl das Gift an seiner Kehle glänzt, wird er davon nicht versengt; vielmehr ist es der Mond mit amṛtahaften Strahlen, der ihn durch Häufungen kühler, frostiger Lichter wundersam brennen lässt.

Word by Word

• गरलम्: poison
• गरलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (context: कर्म/विषय)

• गलनालिकातले: on the surface of the throat-pipe
• गलनालिकातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल-नालिका-तल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गलनालिकायाः तलम्)

• विलसेत्: might shine / would appear
• विलसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विलस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तेन: by that (poison)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• तापितः: was tormented / heated
• तापितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘heated/tormented’

• अमृतांशु: the moon (nectar-rayed one)
• अमृतांशु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत-अंशु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अमृतस्य अंशुः)

• तुषारदीधिति: the cool-rayed one
• तुषारदीधिति: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुषार-दीधिति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तुषारवत् दीधितिः)

• प्रचयैः: by heaps/masses
• प्रचयैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Modifier (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse (Contrast/विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• तापितः: was tormented
• तापितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मणि

• अद्भुतम्: a wonder
• अद्भुतम्: Predicate (Viśeṣaṇa/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (वाक्ये विशेष्यभावे)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka/ṛṣis framework (typical) or internal Kāśī-māhātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with blue throat, crescent moon on matted locks; despite poison at the throat, he appears inwardly aflame, as if the moon’s cool rays paradoxically kindle anguish of separation from Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Nīlakaṇṭha implied)
• Candra (Amṛtāṃśu)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly terrors (poison) cannot shake the Lord, but divine love and sacred longing (for Kāśī) is portrayed as overpowering—exalting the tīrtha’s majesty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the cause of the Lord’s ‘burning’ in separation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.