Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

गतो बहुतरः कालस्तत्र मे वसतो मुने । क्षुधितस्य तृषार्तस्य शीततापसहस्य च

Transliteration

gato bahutaraḥ kālastatra me vasato mune | kṣudhitasya tṛṣārtasya śītatāpasahasya ca

Translation

Ô sage, un très long temps s’est écoulé tandis que j’y demeurais : affamé, tourmenté par la soif, endurant le froid et la chaleur.

Word by Word

• gataḥ: gone; passed
• gataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; adjectival participle agreeing with ‘kālaḥ’

• bahutaraḥ: a longer/greater
• bahutaraḥ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + -tara (तुलनात्मक प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; comparative ‘more/greater’ qualifying ‘kālaḥ’

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• me: of me; my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; enclitic genitive

• vasataḥ: while dwelling; of (me) residing
• vasataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु) → vasat (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘of me dwelling’

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• kṣudhitasya: of (me) hungry
• kṣudhitasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṣudh (धातु) → kṣudhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; qualifying implied ‘me’

• tṛṣārtasya: of (me) afflicted by thirst
• tṛṣārtasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (तृषया आर्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; qualifying implied ‘me’

• śīta-tāpa-sahasya: of (me) enduring cold and heat
• śīta-tāpa-sahasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (शीततापौ) + सह; ‘enduring cold and heat’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; qualifying implied ‘me’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Rākṣasa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering being recounts long residence in a barren, sun-scorched place—emaciated, parched, enduring alternating cold nights and burning days—speaking to a sage.

Characters & Entities

• Tapasvī (addressed as Muni)
• Hunger
• Thirst
• Cold and heat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic consequences can be prolonged and intense; endurance alone is not liberation without dharmic rectification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha; the verse continues the rākṣasa’s account of suffering away from sustaining resources.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the narrative prepares for guidance on atonement and right conduct.