Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

कामक्रोधमहामोहलोभादि निशितैः शरैः । घ्नंति तेषां मनस्तत्र स्थितिं चापनयंति च

Transliteration

kāmakrodhamahāmohalobhādi niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | ghnaṃti teṣāṃ manastatra sthitiṃ cāpanayaṃti ca

Translation

കാമം, ക്രോധം, മഹാമോഹം, ലോഭം മുതലായ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അമ്പുകളാൽ അവർ അത്തരക്കാരുടെ മനസ്സിനെ തകർക്കുകയും അവിടെ സ്ഥിരമായി നിലകൊള്ളാനുള്ള ശക്തിയും അകറ്റുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कामक्रोधमहामोहलोभादि: (with) desire, anger, great delusion, greed, etc.
• कामक्रोधमहामोहलोभादि: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + क्रोध + महा + मोह + लोभ + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (कामा-क्रोध-महामोह-लोभ-आदयः)

• निशितैः: sharp
• निशितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) √शि/निश्? ‘to sharpen’ अर्थे ‘sharp’

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• घ्नन्ति: strike/kill
• घ्नन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम् (घ्न-आदेशः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (मनः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्थितिम्: steadiness/abiding
• स्थितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपनयन्ति: remove/take away
• अपनयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṇas as fierce guardians shoot symbolic arrows labeled kāma, krodha, moha, lobha into a dark cloud representing a restless mind; the person staggers away from the ghāṭa, unable to settle.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṇa (implied from previous verse)
• Kāma
• Krodha
• Moha
• Lobha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Uncontrolled passions sabotage spiritual life; without conquering desire, anger, delusion, and greed, one cannot remain steady in a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Gaṅgā’s sacred vicinity in Kāśī, where steadiness in dharma is expected.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; the implied practice is inner discipline—restraining the passions to sustain residence and devotion in the tīrtha.