Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यदच्छभित्तौ वीक्ष्य स्वमन्ययोपिद्विशंकिता । मुग्धानाशुविशेच्चित्रमपिस्वांचित्रशालिकाम्

Transliteration

yadacchabhittau vīkṣya svamanyayopidviśaṃkitā | mugdhānāśuviśeccitramapisvāṃcitraśālikām

Translation

Voyant son reflet sur un mur sans défaut, une femme égarée—doutant si c’est elle ou une autre—pourrait, soudain, entrer même dans une image peinte, sa propre galerie d’images.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal relation/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (when)

• accha-bhittau: on the clear wall
• accha-bhittau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: accha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhitti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अच्छा भित्तिः)

• vīkṣya: having seen
• vīkṣya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), 'having seen'

• svam: herself/one's own (image)
• svam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आत्मवाचक-विशेष्य (one's own [image/self])

• anyayā: by another (woman)
• anyayā: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: 'also/even')

• dvi-śaṃkitā: doubly suspicious
• dvi-śaṃkitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + śaṃkita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (द्विधा शङ्किता = doubly suspicious)

• mugdhā: the innocent girl
• mugdhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mugdhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• viśet: should enter
• viśet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• citram: a picture
• citram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even)

• svām: her own
• svām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• citra-śālikām: picture-gallery/painting-room
• citra-śālikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक) + śālikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चित्रस्य शालिका)

Speaker

Gaṇas (context continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A polished, flawless wall in a Kāśī mansion reflects a woman so perfectly that she doubts whether it is herself or another; nearby, a painted gallery seems to open like a doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Citraśālā (picture-gallery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text heightens reverence for the place by portraying it as wondrous beyond ordinary perception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sahasrākṣa-purī’s palaces and interiors are being described as miraculously splendid.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive praise (māhātmya) rather than instruction.