Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सा समुत्सुकयेत्काशी लोकेश मम मानसम् । प्राकृतस्य जनस्येव चंचलाक्षीव काचन

Transliteration

sā samutsukayetkāśī lokeśa mama mānasam | prākṛtasya janasyeva caṃcalākṣīva kācana

Translation

«Cette Kāśī rend mon esprit impatient, ô Seigneur des mondes—comme une femme aux yeux changeants trouble le cœur d’un homme ordinaire.»

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (Kāśī)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समुत्सुकयेत्: would make eager
• समुत्सुकयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-√सुक्/उत्सुक (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘would make eager/agitates’

• काशी: Kāśī
• काशी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सा’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन्

• लोकेश: O Lord of the world
• लोकेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकानाम् ईशः)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मानसम्: mind
• मानसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राकृतस्य: of an ordinary person
• प्राकृतस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• जनस्य: of a person
• जनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle: ‘like/as’)

• चञ्चल-अक्षी: a fickle-eyed woman
• चञ्चल-अक्षी: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (चञ्चले अक्षिणी यस्याः/यस्य)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• काचना: some (woman)
• काचना: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (‘some’)

Speaker

Śiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lord of the worlds (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva confesses that Kāśī makes his mind eager and restless, likened to a fickle-eyed woman stirring an ordinary man’s heart.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Lokeśa (epithet used in address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The attraction to Kāśī symbolizes the soul’s pull toward liberation; intense yearning for a sacred kṣetra is framed as spiritually meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), depicted as captivating even Śiva’s attention in the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse conveys bhāva (inner longing) rather than a ritual act.