Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

हठाद्वा लोकभीत्या वा स्वार्थाद्वा ब्रह्मचर्यभाक् । संकल्पयति चित्ते चेत्कृतमप्यकृतं तदा

Transliteration

haṭhādvā lokabhītyā vā svārthādvā brahmacaryabhāk | saṃkalpayati citte cetkṛtamapyakṛtaṃ tadā

Translation

ബലത്താലോ, ലോകഭയത്താലോ, സ്വാർത്ഥത്താലോ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യം സ്വീകരിച്ചിട്ടും മനസ്സിൽ കാമസങ്കൽപ്പം നിലനിൽക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ—പുറമേ ചെയ്തതും ചെയ്തതല്ലാത്തതുപോലെ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हठात्: from compulsion/forcefully
• हठात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (by force)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• लोकभीत्या: by fear of society/people
• लोकभीत्या: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; लोकस्य भीतिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; कारणे (out of fear of people)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• स्वार्थात्: from self-interest
• स्वार्थात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; स्वस्य अर्थः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; हेतौ (for one’s own interest)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• ब्रह्मचर्यभाक्: one who adopts brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्यभाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य + भज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भज् धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘भाक्’ = भजति/भजमानः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ब्रह्मचर्यं भजते इति (one who undertakes celibacy)

• संकल्पयति: forms/imagines (a resolve)
• संकल्पयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संकल्पय् (धातु; √कॢप् causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (done)

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

• अकृतम्: undone/not done
• अकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘not done’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: then)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker in Kāśī sits near a ghat at dawn, outwardly austere, while within the mind a shadowy form of desire persists; a luminous inner flame (viveka) challenges the shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Saṃkalpa (mental intention)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline must be sincere; inner intention determines the true value of outward restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s moral instruction in the Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it critiques insincere observance driven by fear, compulsion, or selfish motives.