Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रसरस्त्विंद्रियाणां च निवार्योत्र निवासिभिः । मनसोपि हि चांचल्यमिह वार्यं प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

prasarastviṃdriyāṇāṃ ca nivāryotra nivāsibhiḥ | manasopi hi cāṃcalyamiha vāryaṃ prayatnataḥ

Translation

Hier sollen die Bewohner von Kāśī das nach außen stürmende Drängen der Sinne zügeln; wahrlich, selbst die Unruhe des Geistes ist hier durch eifriges Bemühen zu bändigen.

Word by Word

• प्रसरः: the roaming/expansion
• प्रसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (conjunction/particle) — विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• इन्द्रियाणाम्: of the senses
• इन्द्रियाणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• निवार्यः: should be restrained
• निवार्यः: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + वṛ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be restrained’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here’

• निवासिभिः: by the residents
• निवासिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by the residents’

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — ‘also/even’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — हेत्वर्थ/निश्चय (indeed/for)

• चाञ्चल्यम्: restlessness
• चाञ्चल्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाञ्चल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here’

• वार्यम्: should be checked
• वार्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be checked/warded off’

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘with effort’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī resident sits in meditation near a quiet ghat at dawn, senses withdrawn; bustling city life is shown at a distance, emphasizing inner restraint amid sacred urban energy.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-vāsa should be accompanied by inner discipline—sense-control and steadiness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed not only as a place of merit but as a field demanding yogic restraint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sādhana prescription: restrain the senses and curb mental restlessness through sustained effort.