Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

किमुद्यमवतां पुंसां दुर्लभं हि चराचरे । ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनां स्फुंरंत्यग्रे मनोरथाः

Transliteration

kimudyamavatāṃ puṃsāṃ durlabhaṃ hi carācare | īśvarārpitabuddhīnāṃ sphuṃraṃtyagre manorathāḥ

Translation

「努力する者にとって、動くものと動かぬものの世界に、いったい何が難しいだろうか。主に心を捧げる者には、願いは前に輝き現れ、成就する。」

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (neut. nom./acc. sg.)

• उद्यमवताम्: of the industrious
• उद्यमवताम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. gen. pl.)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (masc. gen. pl.)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Predicate adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (neut. nom./acc. sg., predicate)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Connector/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')

• चराचरे: in the moving and unmoving world
• चराचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक) + अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (चरं च अचरं च) (neut. loc. sg.)

• ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनाम्: of those whose minds are offered to God
• ईश्वरार्पितबुद्धीनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्पित (कृदन्त; अर्प्/अर्पय् धातु + क्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ईश्वरे अर्पिता बुद्धिः येषाम्) (masc. gen. pl.)

• स्फुरन्ति: shine forth, arise
• स्फुरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd pl. pres.)

• अग्रे: ahead, before them
• अग्रे: Adhikarana/Adverbial (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण सप्तमी-एकवचन (adverbial locative: 'in front/ahead')

• मनोरथाः: wishes, desired aims
• मनोरथाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (masc. nom. pl.)

Speaker

Kanakakuṇḍala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yakṣiṇī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kanakakuṇḍala speaks with confident energy, pointing toward a shrine; a subtle radiance (manoratha ‘shining’) appears as a halo-like glow around the devoted couple.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (the Lord)
• udyama (effort)
• manoratha (aims)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When effort is joined with God-offering intention (īśvarārpita-buddhi), goals become attainable through the harmony of human striving and divine support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra indirectly, as the teaching belongs to its māhātmya narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the prescription is inner discipline—effort and dedicating one’s mind and actions to Īśvara.