Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

किं चन्दनेन पीयूपबिन्दुना किं किमिन्दुना

Transliteration

kiṃ candanena pīyūpabindunā kiṃ kimindunā

Translation

À quoi bon désormais la pâte de santal ? À quoi bon même une goutte d’amṛta ? Et que m’est encore la lune ?

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्रयोग (interrogative particle: what use?)

• चन्दनेन: with sandalwood
• चन्दनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• पीयूपबिन्दुना: with a drop of nectar
• पीयूपबिन्दुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीयूप + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्रयोग (interrogative particle)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्रयोग (interrogative particle)

• इन्दुना: with the moon (moonlight)
• इन्दुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextually the grieving mother/wife of the sage Dīrghatapā, lamenting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mother rejects offerings of sandal paste, nectar-like drink, and moonlit comfort; she turns away from a tray of soothing items while the moon shines indifferent outside.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā) region
• Dīrghatapā (context)
• Indu (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly comforts and even ‘cooling’ remedies feel meaningless when the mind is overwhelmed by grief; the Purāṇic narrative prepares the ground for dharmic counsel and karmic reflection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa framework connected to the sacred Revā/Narmadā region, though this line itself is a personal lament rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is an expression of lament (śoka).