Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

आधिपत्यकमलातिचंचला प्राप्यतां च यदिहार्जितं किल । निश्चलं सदसदुच्चकैर्हितं कार्यमार्यचरितैः सदैव तत्

Transliteration

ādhipatyakamalāticaṃcalā prāpyatāṃ ca yadihārjitaṃ kila | niścalaṃ sadasaduccakairhitaṃ kāryamāryacaritaiḥ sadaiva tat

Translation

La soberanía—como Lakṣmī sobre el loto—es sumamente inconstante, aun cuando aquí se obtenga con el propio esfuerzo. Por eso, los nobles deben cultivar siempre lo que es firme y verdaderamente benéfico: la recta conducta, que permanece estable entre lo alto y lo bajo, lo bueno y lo malo.

Word by Word

• आधिपत्य-कमल-अति-चञ्चला: (royal) sovereignty-lotus, very fickle
• आधिपत्य-कमल-अति-चञ्चला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + अति (अव्यय/उपपद) + चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (F., Nom., Sg.); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ('very fickle like the lotus of sovereignty')

• प्राप्यताम्: let it be obtained
• प्राप्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र + लोट् (आज्ञार्थ)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (Imperative, 3rd sg., Ātmanepada); विधिलिङ्गार्थे (let it be obtained)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अर्जितम्: (what is) acquired
• अर्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (that which is acquired)

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक/अनुनासिक-अव्यय (indeed, it is said)

• निश्चलम्: steady
• निश्चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.)

• सत्-असत्-उच्चकैः: by good and bad (means), in extremes
• सत्-असत्-उच्चकैः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + असत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उच्चकैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व + अव्यय (adverbial): 'by good and bad, in high/low ways'; उच्चकैः = क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा (धातु) + हि/हित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (beneficial/placed)

• कार्यम्: duty, what should be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (that which should be done)

• आर्य-चरितैः: by noble conduct
• आर्य-चरितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चर् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Neut., Instr., Pl.); तत्पुरुषः ('conduct of the noble')

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lakṣmī poised on a lotus whose petals sway in wind above a throne; beneath, a calm noble person holds a lamp of dharma that does not flicker; background shows Kāśī’s steady temple spires and ghāṭ steps, symbolizing permanence amid worldly flux.

Characters & Entities

• Kamalā (Lakṣmī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is unstable; lasting welfare comes from steady noble conduct and dhārmic character.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger chapter belongs to Kāśī’s praise, but this verse focuses on general dharma rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual; the prescription is continual practice of ārya-caritra (noble conduct).