Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

ततश्चिंतामवापोच्चैर्दिग्भ्रांतिमपि चाप्तवान् । अहो बालिशबुद्धित्वात्कुतस्त्यक्तं गृहं मया

Transliteration

tataściṃtāmavāpoccairdigbhrāṃtimapi cāptavān | aho bāliśabuddhitvātkutastyaktaṃ gṛhaṃ mayā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ അത്യന്തം ആശങ്കയിൽ വീണു, ദിശാഭ്രമവും ഉണ്ടായി. ‘അയ്യോ! ബാലിശബുദ്ധിയാൽ ഞാൻ എന്തിന് വീട് ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു?’

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• cintām: anxiety; worry
• cintām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• avāpa: obtained; fell into
• avāpa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (अव+आप्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• uccaiḥ: greatly; loudly; intensely
• uccaiḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• dig-bhrāntim: disorientation (loss of direction)
• dig-bhrāntim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समास: दिशां भ्रान्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• āptavān: he obtained/experienced
• āptavān: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfective participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (he had obtained)

• aho: alas! oh!
• aho: Bhava-prakashaka (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/खेदबोधक उद्गार (interjection)

• bāliśa-buddhitvāt: because of foolishness
• bāliśa-buddhitvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समास: बालिशा बुद्धिः (कर्मधारय) + तद्धितान्त भाववाचक -त्व; अपादान/हेतुवाचक (because of)

• kutaḥ: from where? how? why?
• kutaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• tyaktam: abandoned
• tyaktam: Kriya (Implied action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग (has been abandoned)

• gṛham: house
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana/Karta (Agent/instrument in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya; Harikeśa’s inner speech reported)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implicit city-space as teacher)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harikeśa stands at a crossroads, anxious and lost, looking in all directions; his posture collapses into self-reproach as he laments abandoning home.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Impulsive rejection of duty leads to confusion and remorse; dharma emphasizes thoughtful action and respect for guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a narrative moment within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.