Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

संसारतापसंतप्तावयवामृतसीकरम् । अपत्यं पततां पोतं बहुक्लेशमहार्णवे

Transliteration

saṃsāratāpasaṃtaptāvayavāmṛtasīkaram | apatyaṃ patatāṃ potaṃ bahukleśamahārṇave

Translation

A child is like a sprinkling of amṛta upon limbs scorched by the heat of worldly life; for those who are sinking, it is a boat upon the vast ocean of many hardships.

Word by Word

• saṃsāra-tāpa-saṃtapta-avayava-amṛta-sīkaram: (as) a nectar-like spray for limbs scorched by the heat of worldly existence
• saṃsāra-tāpa-saṃtapta-avayava-amṛta-sīkaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtapta (कृदन्त; √tap (धातु) + सम् उपसर्ग) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक) + amṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + sīkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्रधानः (संसारतापेन संतप्तानाम् अवयवानाम् अमृतसदृशः सीकरः यस्य तत्)

• apatyam: offspring; child
• apatyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• patatām: of those who are falling
• patatām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patat (कृदन्त; √pat (धातु) शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (पतत् = पतन्)

• potam: boat; raft
• potam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pota (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bahu-kleśa-mahā-arṇave: in the great ocean of many troubles
• bahu-kleśa-mahā-arṇave: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + kleśa (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (बहवः क्लेशाः यस्मिन् सः महān arṇavaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative householder figure visualized amid a metaphorical ocean of troubles; a child appears as a small boat and as cool nectar-spray soothing scorched limbs—allegorical, devotional tone.

Characters & Entities

• Apatya (offspring)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It praises the dharmic role of offspring as emotional, social, and spiritual support that helps one endure saṃsāra’s hardships.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader glorification of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), though this specific line teaches a general dharmic principle rather than naming a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it is a doctrinal metaphor supporting gṛhastha-dharma.