Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ऊरुस्तंभेन चैतस्याः स्तंभवत्कस्यनो मनः । तस्तंभेन मुने वापि सुवृत्तेन सुवर्तनम्

Transliteration

ūrustaṃbhena caitasyāḥ staṃbhavatkasyano manaḥ | tastaṃbhena mune vāpi suvṛttena suvartanam

Translation

അവളുടെ തൂണുപോലെ ദൃഢമായ ഊരുക്കൾ കൊണ്ട് ആരുടെ മനസ്സാണ് സ്തംഭിക്കാതിരിക്കുക? ആ സുനിർമ്മിത ‘സ്തംഭം’ മൂലം മുനിയുടെ സ്ഥിരഗതിയും കുലുങ്ങാം।

Word by Word

• ūru-staṃbhena: by the thigh-pillar (firm thighs)
• ūru-staṃbhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūru (प्रातिपदिक) + staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• etasyāḥ: of this woman
• etasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• staṃbhavat: like a pillar
• staṃbhavat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: staṃbhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); उपमान-विशेषणम् (like a pillar)

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम् (negation particle)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat-staṃbhena: by that pillar-like (feature)
• tat-staṃbhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + staṃbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), संबोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle)

• api: also / even
• api: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• su-vṛttena: by the well-rounded / well-formed
• su-vṛttena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vṛtta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √vṛt)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् to (implied) staṃbhena

• su-vartanam: good turning/rolling (graceful movement)
• su-vartanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + vartana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक (state/quality)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking metaphor: her thighs are like firm pillars that ‘stun’ the mind into immobility; paradoxically, that very pillar can make even a sage’s steady path waver—sensual power depicted as both stambhana (paralysis) and vikṣepa (disturbance).

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied context)
• Sage (muni—listener implied, likely Agastya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights how easily the mind can be arrested by sensory charm—implying the need for vigilance and dharmic steadiness, especially in a sacred setting like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī generally; no single tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.