Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अहो निजगुणस्पर्शः सततं मातरिश्वना । दूरदेशांतरस्थोपि तत्त्वचो विषयीकृतः

Transliteration

aho nijaguṇasparśaḥ satataṃ mātariśvanā | dūradeśāṃtarasthopi tattvaco viṣayīkṛtaḥ

Translation

അഹോ! തന്റെ സ്വഗുണസ്പർശത്താൽ നിരന്തരം സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്ന മാതരിശ്വൻ (വായു) ദൂരദേശാന്തരങ്ങളിൽ പോയാലും, തത്ത്വനിഷ്ഠനായ അവനാൽ വശീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു—അധീനവിഷയമായി.

Word by Word

• अहो: oh!
• अहो: Sambodhana/Discourse marker (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection)

• निज-गुण-स्पर्शः: the touch of its own quality
• निज-गुण-स्पर्शः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (निजस्य गुणस्य स्पर्शः = touch of one’s own quality)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-viseshana (adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always/constantly)

• मातरिश्वना: by the wind (Mātariśvan)
• मातरिश्वना: Karana (instrument/agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातरिश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular); ‘वायु’ (by the Wind)

• दूर-देश-अन्तर-स्थः: situated in a far-off place
• दूर-देश-अन्तर-स्थः: Visheshana (qualifier of implicit subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (दूरे देशान्तरे स्थितः = situated in a far-off region)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• तत्त्वचः: of the skin (tactile sense)
• तत्त्वचः: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (masculine, genitive singular); ‘त्वक्/स्पर्शेन्द्रिय’ (of the skin/tactile organ)

• विषयी-कृतः: made an object (brought within range)
• विषयी-कृतः: Karta/Predicate (as predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषयी√कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विषयः कृतः’ (made into an object; brought within range)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm ascetic, unmoving, while gusts and swirling leaves approach from distant horizons and then settle, as if the wind itself bows and becomes still around him.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Mātariśvan (Vāyu)
• Tattva (truth/essence)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One rooted in tattva and disciplined tapas can master even subtle forces like wind—symbolizing mastery of the senses and mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra is the implied sacred setting, praised as a realm where spiritual disciplines gain extraordinary potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse points to yogic-dharmic discipline (tapas, truthfulness, steadiness) as the means.