Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य समाधौ निश्चलात्मनः । श्रुतबालविपत्तेश्च चचाल न मनोहरात्

Transliteration

harārcanopaviṣṭasya samādhau niścalātmanaḥ | śrutabālavipatteśca cacāla na manoharāt

Translation

അവൻ ഹരൻ (ശിവൻ) ആരാധനയിൽ ഉപവേശിച്ച്, സമാധിയിൽ നിശ്ചലചിത്തനായിരുന്നു. ബാലന്റെ ദുരന്തവാർത്ത കേട്ടിട്ടും അവന്റെ മനസ് മനോഹരനായ ഹരനിൽ നിന്ന് കുലുങ്ങിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य: of him who was seated in worship of Hara
• हरार्चनोपविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + उपविष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः: हरस्य अर्चने उपविष्टः (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष + क्त)

• समाधौ: in samādhi
• समाधौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• निश्चलात्मनः: of the steady-minded one
• निश्चलात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying the genitive subject)

• श्रुतबालविपत्तेः: because of the heard calamity of the boy
• श्रुतबालविपत्तेः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + विपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासः: बालस्य विपत्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), श्रुता (कर्मधारय: 'heard')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• चचाल: moved/shook
• चचाल: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मनोहरात्: from (his) delightful (state)/from Manohara
• मनोहरात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative of separation)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage seated in padmāsana before a Śiva-liṅga or Hara icon, lamp flame steady; boys stand at a respectful distance, distressed; yet the sage’s face is serene, eyes half-closed, absorbed in samādhi.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Samādhi
• Muni (devotee-father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion to Śiva is shown as a stabilizing force, unshaken even by distressing external events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Śaiva devotional atmosphere, where Śiva-worship is central to the city’s spiritual identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Harārcana (worship of Śiva) and sustained samādhi are implied as the devotee’s practice.