Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

करंडदंडपानीय पात्रमात्रपरिग्रहान् । क्वचित्त्रिदंडिनो दृष्ट्वा निःसंगा निष्परिग्रहान्

Transliteration

karaṃḍadaṃḍapānīya pātramātraparigrahān | kvacittridaṃḍino dṛṣṭvā niḥsaṃgā niṣparigrahān

Translation

En certains endroits, il vit des ascètes tridaṇḍin, sans attachement ni possession, dont les seuls biens étaient un bâton, une corbeille et un vase à eau.

Word by Word

• करंड: basket/pot
• करंड: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• दंड: staff
• दंड: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• पानीय: drinking water
• पानीय: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• पात्रमात्रपरिग्रहान्: having only a bowl as possessions
• पात्रमात्रपरिग्रहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘पात्रमात्रः परिग्रहः येषाम्’ (अल्पपरिग्रह)

• क्वचित्: somewhere/sometimes
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• त्रिदंडिनः: tridaṇḍin ascetics
• त्रिदंडिनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘त्रिदण्डी’ (त्रिदण्डधारी संन्यासी)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘दृष्ट्वा’ = having seen

• निःसंगान्: detached
• निःसंगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःसंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (विशेषण) ‘असङ्ग’

• निष्परिग्रहान्: without possessions
• निष्परिग्रहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (विशेषण) ‘अपरिग्रह’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience in the frame dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet lane near Kāśī ghāṭas where tridaṇḍin ascetics walk or stand—each with a triple staff, a small basket, and a water-pot—faces calm, eyes lowered, moving without haste amid temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• tridaṇḍin ascetics
• renunciants

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness is marked by non-attachment (niḥsaṅga) and minimalism (niṣparigraha), especially in a sacred place like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), depicted as a living landscape of renunciant Dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the ‘prescription’ is ethical-spiritual: restraining possessions and cultivating detachment.