Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तोयार्द्रकाकपक्षाग्रं कषायनयनांचलम् । किंचिद्विरूक्षं त्वक्क्षोभं संभ्रमापन्नमानसम्

Transliteration

toyārdrakākapakṣāgraṃ kaṣāyanayanāṃcalam | kiṃcidvirūkṣaṃ tvakkṣobhaṃ saṃbhramāpannamānasam

Translation

ಅವನ ಕೂದಲಿನ ತುದಿಗಳು ಕಾಗೆಯ ರೆಕ್ಕೆಗಳಂತೆ ನೀರಿನಿಂದ ತೋಯ್ದಿದ್ದವು; ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಕೋಣೆಗಳು ಕಷಾಯವರ್ಣದಿಂದ ಮಸುಕಾಗಿದ್ದವು; ಅವನು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅಸ್ತವ್ಯಸ್ತವಾಗಿ, ಚರ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಪನದಿಂದ, ಭಯದಿಂದ ಕಲುಷಿತ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು।

Word by Word

• तोय-आर्द्र-काक-पक्ष-अग्रम्: with the tip of the crow-feather wet with water
• तोय-आर्द्र-काक-पक्ष-अग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + काक (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘तोयेन आर्द्रं काकपक्षस्य अग्रं यस्य/यत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कषाय-नयन-अंचलम्: having brownish corners of the eyes
• कषाय-नयन-अंचलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कषाय (प्रातिपदिक) + नयन (प्रातिपदिक) + अंचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘कषायं नयनयोः अंचलम्’ (brownish corner of the eyes); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किंचित्: somewhat
• किंचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): अल्पार्थे ‘a little/somewhat’

• विरूक्षम्: rough; unkempt
• विरूक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्वक्-क्षोभम्: skin irritation; agitation of the skin
• त्वक्-क्षोभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वक् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘त्वचः क्षोभः’ (skin-irritation); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संभ्रम-आपन्न-मानसम्: whose mind had fallen into confusion
• संभ्रम-आपन्न-मानसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + आपन्न (√आपद्, क्त/कृदन्त) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘संभ्रमम् आपन्नं मानसं यस्य/यत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, contextually)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close portrayal of the child’s frightened appearance: wet hair-tips like a crow’s wing, darkened eye-corners, roughened look, skin bristling, mind shaken—an intimate psychological snapshot.

Characters & Entities

• Śiśu (child)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma recognizes lived suffering; divine grace meets devotees amid real fear and vulnerability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, as the setting where distress is witnessed and ultimately relieved by Śiva’s power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a compassionate description of distress prior to relief.