Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

उवाच गद्गदं वाक्यं विघूर्णित विलोचनः । प्रिये मुधा समानीता सुशित्यर्धोक्तिमुच्चरन्

Transliteration

uvāca gadgadaṃ vākyaṃ vighūrṇita vilocanaḥ | priye mudhā samānītā suśityardhoktimuccaran

Translation

കണ്ണുകൾ വ്യാകുലമായി ചുറ്റുമ്പോൾ അവൻ ഗദ്ഗദസ്വരത്തിൽ തകർന്ന വാക്കുകൾ ഉച്ചരിച്ചു— “പ്രിയേ, വ്യർഥമായി ഇവിടെ കൊണ്ടുവന്നു…”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गद्गदम्: stammering, faltering
• गद्गदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गद्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विघूर्णितविलोचनः: whose eyes were rolling/dizzy
• विघूर्णितविलोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघूर्णित (कृदन्त; √घूर्ण् धातु, क्त; उपसर्ग: वि) + विलोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्य विलोचने विघूर्णिते'

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• मुधा: in vain
• मुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: in vain/without cause)

• समानीता: (you were) brought
• समानीता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+आ+नी (धातु √नी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि; 'brought/led'

• सुशिति: very sharp
• सुशिति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण, समासपूर्वपद

• अर्धोक्तिम्: a half-utterance, broken speech
• अर्धोक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• उच्चरन्: uttering
• उच्चरन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+√चर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; परस्मैपद-धातु; 'uttering'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly framed as Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wounded warrior with trembling limbs and rolling eyes speaks in a choked voice; his beloved is nearby, stunned—broken words hanging in the air amid fading battle noise.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly attachment and passion can end in grief; remembrance of dharma and the sacred goal is urged amid life’s fragility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī framework, but no particular tīrtha is cited in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.