Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

वसंते निवसंती सा वने बालाचलंमनः । चक्रे तपस्यपि श्रुत्वा कोकिला काकलीरवम्

Transliteration

vasaṃte nivasaṃtī sā vane bālācalaṃmanaḥ | cakre tapasyapi śrutvā kokilā kākalīravam

Translation

春のさなか森に住み、若き乙女の心は揺らいだ。されどコーキラの甘きさえずりを聞いても、彼女はタパス（苦行）をなお続けた。

Word by Word

• वसन्ते: in spring
• वसन्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालवाचक-सप्तमी (locative of time)

• निवसन्ती: dwelling, residing
• निवसन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वस् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• बालाचलमनः: (her) child-like unsteady mind
• बालाचलमनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल + अचल + मनस् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘बालस्य अचलम् मनः’ इति (mind unsteady like a child)

• चक्रे: did, performed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तपस्य: austerity, penance
• तपस्य: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कोकिला: the cuckoo
• कोकिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोकिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• काकलीरवम्: the sweet cooing sound
• काकलीरवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काकली + रव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young ascetic maiden in a forest hermitage during spring; flowering trees, gentle breeze, and a cuckoo singing, while she remains seated in tapas with unwavering posture.

Characters & Entities

• Dhūtapāpā
• forest (vana)
• cuckoo (kokilā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when the senses are stirred by seasonal beauty, steadfast tapas (discipline) should not be abandoned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa milieu (Kāśī’s sacred field) frames the narrative, though this verse itself focuses on the forest-austerity setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on continuing tapas despite sensory distraction.