Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य समाधौ निश्चलात्मनः । श्रुतबालविपत्तेश्च चचाल न मनोहरात्

Transliteration

harārcanopaviṣṭasya samādhau niścalātmanaḥ | śrutabālavipatteśca cacāla na manoharāt

Translation

Assis dans l’adoration de Hara (Śiva), ferme en samādhi, l’esprit immobile, bien qu’il entendît le malheur de l’enfant, son mental ne vacilla pas loin du Seigneur ravissant.

Word by Word

• हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य: of him who was seated in worship of Hara
• हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + उपविष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः: हरस्य अर्चने उपविष्टः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष + क्त)

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• निश्चलात्मनः: of the steady-minded one
• निश्चलात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying the genitive subject)

• श्रुतबालविपत्तेः: because of the heard calamity of the boy
• श्रुतबालविपत्तेः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + विपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः: बालस्य विपत्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), श्रुता (कर्मधारय: 'heard')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• चचाल: moved/shook
• चचाल: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मनोहरात्: from (his) delightful (state)/from Manohara
• मनोहरात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative of separation)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage seated in padmāsana before a Śiva-liṅga or Hara icon, lamp flame steady; boys stand at a respectful distance, distressed; yet the sage’s face is serene, eyes half-closed, absorbed in samādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Samādhi
• Muni (devotee-father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion to Śiva is shown as a stabilizing force, unshaken even by distressing external events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Śaiva devotional atmosphere, where Śiva-worship is central to the city’s spiritual identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Harārcana (worship of Śiva) and sustained samādhi are implied as the devotee’s practice.