Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

तस्या नाभीदरीं प्राप्य कंदर्पोऽनंगता गतः । पुनः प्राप्तुमिवांगानि तप्यते परमं तपः

Transliteration

tasyā nābhīdarīṃ prāpya kaṃdarpo'naṃgatā gataḥ | punaḥ prāptumivāṃgāni tapyate paramaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

Parvenu au creux de son nombril, Kandarpa redevint «sans corps»; et, comme s’il voulait retrouver ses membres, il accomplit l’austérité la plus ardente.

Word by Word

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• nābhī-darīm: the navel-cavity
• nābhī-darīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nābhī (प्रातिपदिक) + darī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• kaṃdarpaḥ: Kandarpa (Kāma)
• kaṃdarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kandarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• anaṃgatām: bodilessness
• anaṃgatām: Gati-karman (Goal of motion/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anaṃgatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक (state/condition)

• gataḥ: has gone / has become
• gataḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• prāptum: to attain
• prāptum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (Infinitive), अव्ययवत्

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamana-marker (Simile particle/उपमानसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)

• aṃgāni: limbs
• aṃgāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tapyate: he/it is tormented / performs austerity
• tapyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम्

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् to tapaḥ

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic, paradoxical tableau: at the navel-hollow (nābhī-darī), Kandarpa ‘loses body’ again; he is imagined performing fierce austerity to regain limbs—sensual focal point fused with ascetic imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Kandarpa/Kāma (Ananga)
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is portrayed as overwhelmed and disciplined in the sacred frame—hinting that in Kāśī, higher dharma and devotion can master even powerful impulses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī in general; the verse is part of a chapter situated in Śiva’s city rather than a named tirtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; ‘tapas’ appears as metaphorical intensity, not a stated observance.