Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यं हि गार्हस्थ्ये यादृक्कल्पनयोज्झितम् । स्वभावचपले चित्ते क्व तादृग्ब्रह्मचारिणि

Transliteration

brahmacaryaṃ hi gārhasthye yādṛkkalpanayojjhitam | svabhāvacapale citte kva tādṛgbrahmacāriṇi

Translation

ഗൃഹസ്ഥാശ്രമത്തിലെ കൽപ്പിത ഉപായങ്ങളില്ലാത്ത, സ്വാഭാവികവും സ്ഥിരവുമായ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യം അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം; സ്വഭാവത്തിൽ ചപലമായ ചിത്തത്തിൽ അത്തരം ദൃഢത ഔപചാരിക ബ്രഹ്മചാരിയിലും എവിടെ?

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy; brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्म/विषयवाचक (contextually: topic)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• गार्हस्थ्ये: in householder life
• गार्हस्थ्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अवस्थावाचक

• यादृक्: of what kind
• यादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘of what kind’

• कल्पनयोज्झितम्: connected with (or free from) contrivance; artificial/contrived (as read)
• कल्पनयोज्झितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्पना-योज्झित (प्रातिपदिक; योज्झित = √युज् (धातु) क्त/क्तवत्-प्रायः ‘yoked/connected’, here ‘kalpanā-yukta/yojita’ with negative sense ‘free from contrivance’ per context)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—कल्पनया (instrumental sense) योज्झितम्/योजितम्; अर्थे: ‘कल्पनया योज्झितम्/योजितम्’ (contrived) or by intended reading ‘कल्पनया उज्झितम्’ (abandoned) — पाठानुसार संयुक्तरूप

• स्वभावचपले: in (a mind) naturally fickle
• स्वभावचपले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वभाव-चपल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—स्वभावेन चपले (naturally fickle)

• चित्ते: in the mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• तादृक्: such
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘such (of that kind)’

• ब्रह्मचारिणि: in a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारिणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; आश्रमवाचक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed householder sits in japa near a lamp, senses restrained, while temptations are personified as fleeting figures dissolving into air; beside him, a formally celibate figure appears distracted—highlighting inner steadiness over outer status.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Gārhasthya
• Brahmacārī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True continence is an inner discipline of mind and intention, not merely an external status; it can be profound even in household life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; it is a dharma teaching situated within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it emphasizes mental steadiness and authentic self-restraint.