Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

चेतःसमुद्रमाकुंच्य चिंताकल्लोलदोलितम् । सत्त्वरत्नं तमोग्राहं रजोविद्रुमवल्लितम्

Transliteration

cetaḥsamudramākuṃcya ciṃtākalloladolitam | sattvaratnaṃ tamogrāhaṃ rajovidrumavallitam

Translation

Retiens l’océan du mental, ballotté par les vagues de l’inquiétude : où le sattva est tel un joyau, le tamas tel un crocodile, et le rajas tel un corail qui enlace.

Word by Word

• cetaḥsamudram: the ocean of the mind
• cetaḥsamudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक) + samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—चेतसः समुद्रः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• ākuṃcya: having contracted/curbed
• ākuṃcya: Sambandha (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kuñc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• ciṃtākalloladolitam: agitated by the waves of worry
• ciṃtākalloladolitam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक) + kallola (प्रातिपदिक) + dolita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) dolita; समासः—चिन्तायाḥ कल्लोलैः दोलितम् (instrumental sense within tatpuruṣa)

• sattvaratnam: the jewel of sattva (purity)
• sattvaratnam: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सत्त्वस्य रत्नम् (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• tamogrāham: the crocodile of darkness
• tamogrāham: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तमसः ग्राहः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• rajovidrumavallitam: adorned with the corals of rajas (passion)
• rajovidrumavallitam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक) + vidruma (प्रातिपदिक) + vallita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त vallita; समासः—रजसः विद्रुमैः वल्लितम् (adorned/encircled with corals of rajas)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (inner tīrtha emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic seascape of the mind: a vast ocean churned by dark waves labeled ‘cintā’; within it glints a sattva-gem, a lurking tamas-crocodile, and branching rajas-coral that snares the swimmer; a yogin on the shore draws the waters inward through restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner restraint is urged: the mind is a turbulent ocean shaped by the guṇas, and calming it supports liberation-oriented living in the sacred sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the instruction appears within the Kāśī/Ānandavana māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic discipline is implied—mental restraint and reduction of anxiety—rather than an external ritual.