Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विदीर्णदाडिमैः स्वांतं दर्शयंतं तु रागवत् । माधवीं धवरूपेण श्लिष्यंतमिव कानने

Transliteration

vidīrṇadāḍimaiḥ svāṃtaṃ darśayaṃtaṃ tu rāgavat | mādhavīṃ dhavarūpeṇa śliṣyaṃtamiva kānane

Translation

裂けたザクロによって、まるで自らの内なる心を、紅に染めて示すかのようであり、林の中では、マーダヴィーの蔓がダヴァの木の姿となって抱きしめられているかのようであった。

Word by Word

• विदीर्ण-दाडिमैः: with split pomegranates
• विदीर्ण-दाडिमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदीर्ण (√दॄ/दॄण् धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + दाडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विदीर्णानि दाडिमानि)

• स्वान्तम्: (its) inner heart/interior
• स्वान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दर्शयन्तम्: showing
• दर्शयन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (√दृश् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• रागवत्: as if with passion/redness
• रागवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रागवत् (प्रातिपदिक; -वत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like in -वत्), उपमानार्थे

• माधवीम्: the Mādhavī creeper
• माधवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• धव-रूपेण: in the form of a dhava-tree
• धव-रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धवस्य रूपम्)

• श्लिष्यन्तम्: embracing/clasping
• श्लिष्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्लिष् (√श्लिष् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• कानने: in the forest/grove
• कानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general kṣetra-stuti context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A verdant Kāśī grove: split pomegranates glow crimson like a revealed heart; a mādhavī creeper appears to cling lovingly around a pale dhava tree, suggesting an embrace in the forest shade.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• dāḍima (pomegranate)
• mādhavī (creeper)
• dhava (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s outer beauty is matched by inner auspiciousness—nature ‘reveals its heart’ in a holy land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra’s groves as part of the broader Kāśī māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive.