Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अमर्षे कर्षति मनो मनोभू संभवः कुतः । विधुंतुदे तुदत्युच्चैर्विधुं कुत्रास्ति कौमुदी

Transliteration

amarṣe karṣati mano manobhū saṃbhavaḥ kutaḥ | vidhuṃtude tudatyuccairvidhuṃ kutrāsti kaumudī

Translation

When impatience and resentment drag the mind about, how can the god of love arise in a wholesome way? When the moon is violently struck by the affliction called “moon-stroke,” where can the soothing beauty of moonlight remain?

Word by Word

• अमर्षे: in intolerance/anger
• अमर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• कर्षति: drags; pulls
• कर्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मनःभूः: Mind-born (Kāma)
• मनःभूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (मनसः भूः = mind-born, i.e., Kāma)

• सम्भवः: arising; origin
• सम्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु) → सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कुतः: from where? how?
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/how)

• विधुंतुदे: when the ‘moon-striker’ (eclipse-causer) is present
• विधुंतुदे: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधुंतुद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण; (नाम: ‘moon-striker’, i.e., Rāhu/केतु-प्रकार)

• तुदति: pierces; strikes
• तुदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तुद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उच्चैः: high; loudly
• उच्चैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: loudly/highly)

• विधुम्: the moon
• विधुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म; (विधु = चन्द्र)

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कौमुदी: moonlight; the moonlit night
• कौमुदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमुदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (continuing narration; aphoristic teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heart/mind depicted as a chariot being dragged by ‘Amarṣa’; Kāma stands unable to arise; above, the moon is struck by an affliction, and its moonlight fades over the Ganga.

Characters & Entities

• Manobhū (Kāma)
• Kaumudī (moonlight, as image)
• Vidhu (moon, as image)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Resentment destabilizes the mind and destroys the conditions for harmony; peace is as fragile as moonlight before affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a moral reflection within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s teaching flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is contemplative instruction encouraging the removal of amarṣa (resentment) for inner clarity.