Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अथाक्षमालिकां कर्णे कृत्वा ध्यानं विसृज्य च । कियद्धनं तवास्तीह पप्रच्छ करसंज्ञया

Transliteration

athākṣamālikāṃ karṇe kṛtvā dhyānaṃ visṛjya ca | kiyaddhanaṃ tavāstīha papraccha karasaṃjñayā

Translation

Alors, plaçant le chapelet (akṣamālā) près de son oreille et quittant la méditation, il demanda d’un signe de la main : «Quelle richesse as-tu ici ?».

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थे (then)

• अक्षमालिकाम्: a rosary (of beads)
• अक्षमालिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मालिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अक्षाणां मालिका)

• कर्णे: in/at the ear
• कर्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having put
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having placed/done)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• विसृज्य: having given up
• विसृज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having abandoned/released)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• कियत्: how much
• कियत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (how much)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object of inquiry/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: here)

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• करसंज्ञया: by a hand-signal/gesture
• करसंज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (करस्य संज्ञा)

Speaker

The meditating brāhmaṇa/ascetic (recipient figure) addressed by the pilgrim

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic shifts his rosary to his ear, pauses meditation, and communicates with a subtle hand sign, asking about the amount of wealth—still maintaining restraint and dignity.

Characters & Entities

• akṣamālā
• dhyāna
• mudrā/saṃjñā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The episode underscores scrutiny in dāna/pratigraha: even spiritual figures may test the circumstances and measure of an offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains within the Kāśī tīrtha narrative; the named water-body in this sequence is Cakrasarasa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative practice with akṣamālā (rosary) is depicted; the immediate concern is dāna/pratigraha (gift and acceptance).