Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

न सौंदर्येण वपुषा न बुद्ध्या न पराक्रमैः । एकयैव मनः शुद्ध्या करणानां जयेन च

Transliteration

na sauṃdaryeṇa vapuṣā na buddhyā na parākramaiḥ | ekayaiva manaḥ śuddhyā karaṇānāṃ jayena ca

Translation

Ni par la beauté du corps, ni par l’intelligence, ni par les prouesses ; c’est seulement par la pureté du mental, et par la conquête des sens, qu’on l’atteint.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सौंदर्येण: by beauty
• सौंदर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौन्दर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• वपुषा: by the body/physique
• वपुषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• बुद्ध्या: by intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• पराक्रमैः: by acts of valor
• पराक्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• एकया: by one (single)
• एकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शुद्ध्या इति)

• एव: only
• एव: Sambandha (Restriction/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (restrictive particle): ‘only/just’

• मनः: of the mind
• मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• शुद्ध्या: by purity
• शुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• करणानाम्: of the senses/instruments
• करणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• जयेन: by conquest
• जयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Pitā (Father)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kanyā (maiden)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: mirror reflecting physical beauty, scrolls for intellect, weapons for prowess—set aside; the seeker sits in meditation, senses symbolically subdued (tortoise motif, closed lotus), mind shown as a clear lake.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purity and self-mastery are the decisive qualifications for the highest blessings, surpassing beauty, intelligence, and worldly heroism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse teaches inner sādhana within the Kāśī Khanda’s dharmic frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indriya-jaya (sense-control) and manaḥ-śuddhi (purity of mind) are prescribed as core disciplines.