Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

वयोथ चतुरं प्राप्य योषास्रक्चंदनादिकान् । निर्वेक्ष्यसि बहून्भोगानिंद्रियार्थान्कृतार्थयन्

Transliteration

vayotha caturaṃ prāpya yoṣāsrakcaṃdanādikān | nirvekṣyasi bahūnbhogāniṃdriyārthānkṛtārthayan

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പ്രായത്തിന്റെ പാക്വത പ്രാപിച്ചാൽ നീ സ്ത്രീകൾ, പുഷ്പമാലകൾ, ചന്ദനം മുതലായവയും ഇന്ദ്രിയസുഖങ്ങളായ അനേകം ഭോഗങ്ങളും അനുഭവിച്ച് തൃപ്തി നേടും.

Word by Word

• वयः: age
• वयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Neuter, Acc singular: 'age')

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (discourse particle: 'then/and now')

• चतुरम्: mature/clever
• चतुरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Acc singular; 'mature/clever')

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): 'having attained'

• योषा: a woman
• योषा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Feminine, Acc singular: 'woman')

• स्रक्: garland
• स्रक्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रज्/स्रक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Feminine, Acc singular: 'garland')

• चन्दनादिकान्: sandalwood etc.
• चन्दनादिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (Acc plural; 'sandalwood and the like')

• निर्वेक्ष्यसि: you will look at/seek
• निर्वेक्ष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Simple future, 2nd person singular)

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Acc plural)

• भोगान्: enjoyments, pleasures
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (Masculine, Acc plural)

• इन्द्रियार्थान्: sense-objects
• इन्द्रियार्थान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Acc plural; 'objects of the senses')

• कृतार्थयन्: making (them/yourself) fulfilled
• कृतार्थयन्: Kriya (Accompanying action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: वर्तमाने कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; परस्मैपद-पर्याय (Present active participle: 'making (someone) fulfilled')

Speaker

Sunīti (contextual, Dhruva narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A youth in the prime of life is envisioned amid garlands and sandal paste, with attendants and refined pleasures; an undercurrent of counsel suggests these are transient and to be dharma-guided.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts the conventional householder phase and its enjoyments, setting a contrast with Dhruva’s uncommon spiritual urgency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of worldly life and its pleasures.