Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

शीतरश्मिः शिरःस्थोपि वर्षन्पीयूषसीकरैः । काशीविश्लेषजं तापं नाहो गमयितुं प्रभुः

Transliteration

śītaraśmiḥ śiraḥsthopi varṣanpīyūṣasīkaraiḥ | kāśīviśleṣajaṃ tāpaṃ nāho gamayituṃ prabhuḥ

Translation

શીતરશ્મિ ચંદ્રમા મારા શિરે સ્થિત રહી અમૃતબિંદુઓ વરસાવતો હોવા છતાં—હાય—કાશી-વિચ્છેદજન્ય દાહને દૂર કરી શકતો નથી.

Word by Word

• śīta-raśmiḥ: the cool-rayed one (Moon)
• śīta-raśmiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + raśmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘शीतः रश्मिः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śiraḥ-sthaḥ: situated on the head
• śiraḥ-sthaḥ: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिरसि स्थितः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying śīta-raśmiḥ)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (even/also)

• varṣan: sprinkling, showering
• varṣan: Karta (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; (sprinkling)

• pīyūṣa-sīkaraiḥ: with drops of nectar
• pīyūṣa-sīkaraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sīkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘पियूषस्य सीकराः’), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन

• kāśī-viśleṣa-jam: born of separation from Kāśī
• kāśī-viśleṣa-jam: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + viśleṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘काश्याः विश्लेषात् जातम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying tāpam)

• tāpam: torment, burning pain
• tāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• aho: alas!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/खेदवाचक-अव्यय (exclamation)

• gamayitum: to remove, to make go away
• gamayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), हेत्वर्थे; धातु: गम् (to cause to go/remove)

• prabhuḥ: the Lord (Śiva)
• prabhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva with the crescent Moon in his matted hair; the Moon showers amṛta-like droplets, yet Śiva’s chest glows with the heat of Kāśī-viraha, showing paradox: nectar cannot cool this longing.

Characters & Entities

• Śītaraśmi (Moon)
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī is depicted as the supreme solace; without it, even cooling divine supports cannot relieve inner burning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), whose absence produces an incomparable ‘tāpa’ (burning).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is devotional-poetic glorification of Kāśī.