Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अहो देहोप्यहोंगत्वं यथा पित्रोः पुरो मम । इति निश्चित्य सा बाला विजितेंद्रिय मानसा

Transliteration

aho dehopyahoṃgatvaṃ yathā pitroḥ puro mama | iti niścitya sā bālā vijiteṃdriya mānasā

Translation

“ಅಯ್ಯೋ, ಈ ದೇಹವೂ! ಅಯ್ಯೋ, ದೇಹವಿಲ್ಲದ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯೂ—ನನ್ನ ಮುಂದೆಯೇ ತಂದೆತಾಯಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಆದಂತೆ!” ಎಂದು ನಿಶ್ಚಯಿಸಿ, ಆಕೆ ಇಂದ್ರಿಯ-ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಜಯಿಸಿ, ದೃಢಸಂಕಲ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಳು।

Word by Word

• aho: alas!/ah!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादि-निपात (interjection)

• dehaḥ: the body
• dehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• aho: alas!/ah!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादि-निपात

• aṅgatvam: the condition of being a mere part/limb
• aṅgatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक ‘state of being a limb/part’

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• pitroḥ: of the parents
• pitroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• puraḥ: before, in the presence of
• puraḥ: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘in front/before’ (puraḥ as indeclinable)

• mama: of me / my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात

• niścitya: having determined
• niścitya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niścitya (कृदन्त; √ci ‘चि’ with nis-)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having ascertained/decided’

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bālā: the girl
• bālā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vijitendriya: having conquered the senses
• vijitendriya: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vijita (कृदन्त; √ji ‘जि’ with vi-) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष) ‘विजितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्या/येन’ (sense-controlled)

• mānasā: mentally (composed), with mind controlled
• mānasā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with sā/bālā) ‘mentally (composed)’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After realizing the fate of the body, the maiden stands upright, calm and resolute, with subdued senses—eyes steady, posture firm—suggesting a vow taken; a Śiva-liṅga or temple spire anchors the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation on the body’s perishability leads to indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and a stable, dharmic resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is directly praised in this verse; it supports the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s broader Kāśī-centered liberation ethos through anityatā teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse recommends a contemplative discipline culminating in self-control.