Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कापालिक व्रतधरः कदाचिच्चाभवद्द्विजः । कदाचिदपि विज्ञानी धातुवादी कदाचन

Transliteration

kāpālika vratadharaḥ kadāciccābhavaddvijaḥ | kadācidapi vijñānī dhātuvādī kadācana

Translation

Parfois il portait le vœu des Kāpālika; parfois il devenait un dvija, un brāhmane « deux fois né ». Tantôt il paraissait savant, tantôt il se faisait docteur d’alchimie, parlant de la transmutation des métaux.

Word by Word

• कापालिकः: a Kāpālika ascetic
• कापालिकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कापालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्रतधरः: vow-bearer/one observing a vow
• व्रतधरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धातु-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—व्रत-धरः = व्रतं धरति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कदाचित्: sometimes
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• विज्ञानी: a learned man/knower
• विज्ञानी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धातुवादी: one who speaks of minerals/alchemy theorist
• धातुवादी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—धातु-वाडी = धातूनां वादी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कदाचन: at some time
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at some time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The same figure appears in alternating guises: a skull-bearing Kāpālika with ash-smeared body, then a dignified brāhmaṇa with sacred thread and manuscript, then a ‘learned’ alchemist displaying crucibles—each scene set against Kāśī’s lanes and ghats.

Characters & Entities

• Kāpālika
• dvija
• dhātuvāda (alchemy/metals lore)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Status (dvija), sectarian vows, or specialized knowledge can be adopted as masks; dharma requires inner truthfulness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as a place where many paths and sect-identities appear—demanding discernment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Kāpālika vow is named, but no procedure or observance details are given in this verse.