Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

पदारविंदं गौविंदं हृदि ध्यायन्नतंद्रितः । वासुदेवकथालापपरिक्षिप्त दिनक्षपः

Transliteration

padāraviṃdaṃ gauviṃdaṃ hṛdi dhyāyannataṃdritaḥ | vāsudevakathālāpaparikṣipta dinakṣapaḥ

Translation

ഗോവിന്ദന്റെ പദാരവിന്ദങ്ങളെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ ക്ഷീണമില്ലാതെ ധ്യാനിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, വാസുദേവകഥാ-സംഭാഷണങ്ങളിൽ ലീനനായി അവൻ ദിനരാത്രങ്ങൾ കഴിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• पद: foot, step
• पद: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग)

• अरविन्दम्: lotus
• अरविन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पदारविन्दम्: lotus-feet
• पदारविन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + अरविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पदस्य अरविन्दम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गोविन्दम्: Govinda (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• गोविन्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + विन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अतन्द्रितः: untiring, unwearied
• अतन्द्रितः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + तन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समास/निषेध; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वासुदेव: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेव: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग)

• कथा: story, discourse
• कथा: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग)

• आलाप: conversation, talk
• आलाप: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग)

• परिक्षिप्त: surrounded, filled
• परिक्षिप्त: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु) + परि (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; (समासाङ्ग)

• दिनक्षपः: (whose) days and nights
• दिनक्षपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + क्षपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (दिनं च क्षपा च); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वासुदेवकथालापपरिक्षिप्त: absorbed in talk of Vāsudeva’s stories
• वासुदेवकथालापपरिक्षिप्त: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव + कथा + आलाप + परिक्षिप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वासुदेवकथालापैः परिक्षिप्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king in quiet inner absorption, eyes half-closed, visualizing Govinda’s lotus feet in his heart; around him, learned devotees narrate Vāsudeva-kathā through day and night, lamps burning steadily.

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Vāsudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Constant remembrance—meditation on the Lord’s feet and immersion in divine kathā—is presented as a complete devotional path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), where such continuous devotion is depicted as naturally thriving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the practice indicated is dhyāna (meditation) and kathā-śravaṇa/ālāpa (narration and discussion of the Lord).