Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 160

Devanagari script

योजनानां शतं यातुं शक्तिःस्यान्निमिषार्धतः । अचिंतितानि शास्त्राणि कंठपाठी भवंति हि

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ śataṃ yātuṃ śaktiḥsyānnimiṣārdhataḥ | aciṃtitāni śāstrāṇi kaṃṭhapāṭhī bhavaṃti hi

Translation

On peut obtenir la puissance de parcourir cent yojanas en la moitié d’un clignement; et même des traités non étudiés deviennent récités par cœur : tels sont, en vérité, les accomplissements évoqués.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas (a distance measure)
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन — 'of yojanas'

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा विभक्ति (2nd/Acc or 1st/Nom); एकवचन — here as object with infinitive

• यातुम्: to go
• यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (Infinitive/तुमुन्); गमनार्थ — 'to go'

• शक्तिः: power, ability
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be / may be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'would be/may be'

• निमिषार्धतः: within half a blink (of an eye)
• निमिषार्धतः: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निमिष + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: निमिषस्य अर्धम्); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — 'from/within half a blink'

• अचिन्तितानि: unthought-of, unstudied
• अचिन्तितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + चिन्तित (कृदन्त; चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन — qualifying 'शास्त्राणि'

• शास्त्राणि: treatises, scriptures
• शास्त्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• कण्ठपाठी: one who has (them) by heart
• कण्ठपाठी: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठ + पाठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कण्ठे पाठः यस्य/कण्ठपाठिन्); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन — predicative adjective with implied 'सः'

• भवन्ति: become / are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — emphasis/indeed

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sādhaka in Kāśī experiences sudden yogic prowess—swift movement like wind and spontaneous mastery of scriptures—under the unseen grace of Viśveśvara and the sanctity of Gaṅgā-ghāṭas.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts siddhis as possible byproducts of yoga, indirectly urging the seeker to value true realization over mere powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the implied sacred setting of these yogic descriptions in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is given; the verse lists purported fruits (siddhis) associated with yogic accomplishment.