Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

मन्देहदेहसंदेहादुदयैकदयाश्रितः । निषधो नौषधिधरोऽप्यस्तोप्यस्तमितप्रभः

Transliteration

mandehadehasaṃdehādudayaikadayāśritaḥ | niṣadho nauṣadhidharo'pyastopyastamitaprabhaḥ

Translation

ಮಂದೇಹರ ದೇಹಸಮೂಹದ ನೆರಳಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಕಾಶ ಕುಗ್ಗಿ, ಉದಯಿಸುವ ಸೂರ್ಯನ ಏಕ ದಯೆಯನ್ನೇ ಆಶ್ರಯಿಸಿದ ನಿಷಧ ಪರ್ವತವು—ಮಹೌಷಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿದ್ದರೂ ತೇಜಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಂಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• मन्देहदेहसंदेहात्: from the doubt about the body of Mandeha
• मन्देहदेहसंदेहात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्देह-देह-संदेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; समासः (बहु-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला)

• उदयैकदयाश्रितः: one who has resorted to the single mercy of Udaya
• उदयैकदयाश्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदय-एक-दया-आश्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला); आश्रित = कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (आ-श्रि धातु, क्त)

• निषधः: Niṣadha (a mountain/name)
• निषधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• औषधिधरः: the bearer of herbs (mountain)
• औषधिधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि-धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (औषधीनां धरः)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• अस्तः: set; gone down
• अस्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण

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

• अस्तमितप्रभः: whose radiance is diminished/obscured
• अस्तमितप्रभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्तमित-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (अस्तमिता प्रभा यस्य/अस्तमिता-प्रभः)

Speaker

Vindhya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Niṣadha (as a famed mountain, not a Kāśī tīrtha)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (within the episode) and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened mountain with glowing medicinal herbs on its slopes, partially veiled by shadowy Mandeha forms; a rising sun sends a single beam of mercy to restore some light.

Characters & Entities

• Niṣadha
• Mandeha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even genuine qualities can be eclipsed when one is entangled in obstructing company—purity of association preserves brilliance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named; it is part of a cosmological comparison used to frame moral instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.