Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

इदानीमेव तपसि बाल्ये वयसि कः श्रमः । पादांगुष्ठकरीषाग्निः कदा मौलिमवाप्स्यति

Transliteration

idānīmeva tapasi bālye vayasi kaḥ śramaḥ | pādāṃguṣṭhakarīṣāgniḥ kadā maulimavāpsyati

Translation

Si tu fais l’austérité dès maintenant, dans l’enfance, quelle peine y a-t-il ? Quand donc le « feu de bouse au gros orteil » atteindra-t-il jamais le sommet de la tête ?

Word by Word

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• तपसि: in austerity / in penance
• तपसि: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/field)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• बाल्ये: in childhood
• बाल्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Time/condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• वयसि: at (this) age
• वयसि: Adhikaraṇa (Time/condition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कः: what? / which?
• कः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• श्रमः: fatigue, hardship
• श्रमः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पादाङ्गुष्ठकरीषाग्निः: the dung-fire (penance) at the big toe (of the foot)
• पादाङ्गुष्ठकरीषाग्निः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + अङ्गुष्ठ + करीष + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (पादाङ्गुष्ठे/पादस्य अङ्गुष्ठे करीषाग्निः—‘dung-fire at/for the big toe of the foot’)

• कदा: when?
• कदा: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक कालवाचक अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• मौलिम्: the crown/topknot (head)
• मौलिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्स्यति: will reach/attain
• अवाप्स्यति: Kriyā (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Dhruva (in reply, resolving to do tapas despite objections; contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience in the kathā frame (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youth argues for undertaking tapas immediately; the metaphor is visualized as a tiny cow-dung fire at the big toe, contrasted with the distant crown of the head—an allegory of delayed spiritual ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It asserts urgency in spiritual effort: delaying tapas weakens its intensity and transformative ‘heat’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes undertaking tapas early; no particular vrata or tīrtha-rite is specified.