Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इति यावत्स संधत्ते धियं तज्जीवितैकिकाम् । तावत्पिपीलिका त्वेका मृतं क्वापि पिपीलिकम्

Transliteration

iti yāvatsa saṃdhatte dhiyaṃ tajjīvitaikikām | tāvatpipīlikā tvekā mṛtaṃ kvāpi pipīlikam

Translation

Während er noch diesen einen Gedanken im Geist zusammenfügte—nur um jenes Leben besorgt—, brachte da sogleich eine einzelne Ameise von irgendwoher eine tote Ameise herbei.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• यावत्: as long as, while
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणवाचक (as long as/while)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संधत्ते: forms, composes
• संधत्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘संधत्ते’ = संयोजयति/निश्चिनोति (sets/frames, composes)

• धियम्: thought, understanding
• धियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (that)

• जीवित: life
• जीवित: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (life)

• एकिकाम्: single-pointed (on one thing)
• एकिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘एकिका’ = एकमात्रा/एकविषया (single-focused)

• तावत्: meanwhile, for that long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावद्-कालपरिमाणवाचक (meanwhile/so long)

• पिपीलिका: an ant
• पिपीलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• एका: one, single
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तान्त (dead)

• क्व: somewhere
• क्व: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक/अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (where/somewhere)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• पिपीलिकम्: an ant (one ant)
• पिपीलिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेद), द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पिपीलिक’ = चींटी (ant)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating the episode; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-liṅga-sthāna in Kāśī (to be revealed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single ant arrives carrying a dead ant and places it at a precise spot; the sage watches, mind turning from anxiety to insight; the ground is subtly highlighted as sacred.

Characters & Entities

• muni (sage)
• pipīlikā (ant)
• death (mṛta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small events can become divine indicators; in sacred geography narratives, nature itself guides devotees toward hidden sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode functions within the glory of Kāśī-kṣetra, where concealed sacred forms are revealed through auspicious signs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse sets up a revelatory sign that leads toward worship.