Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

इदमेव तपोत्युग्रं यदिंद्रिय विलोलताम् । निषिध्य स्थीयते काश्यां क्षुत्तापाद्यवमन्य च

Transliteration

idameva tapotyugraṃ yadiṃdriya vilolatām | niṣidhya sthīyate kāśyāṃ kṣuttāpādyavamanya ca

Translation

ഇതുതന്നെ അത്യുഗ്രമായ തപസ്സാണ്—ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളുടെ ചാഞ്ചല്യം നിഗ്രഹിച്ച് കാശിയിൽ സ്ഥിരമായി നിലകൊള്ളുക; വിശപ്പ്, ചൂട് മുതലായവയെ അവഗണിക്കുക.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थ

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• उग्रम्: fierce, intense
• उग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तपः)

• यत्: which (is that)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• इन्द्रिय: of the senses
• इन्द्रिय: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः (विलोलताम्)

• विलोलताम्: restlessness, fickleness
• विलोलताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलोलता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निषिध्य: having restrained/forbidden
• निषिध्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + सिध्/षिध् (धातु) → निषिध्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया

• स्थीयते: one remains/stands
• स्थीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• क्षुत्: hunger
• क्षुत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग (ताप-आदि)

• ताप: heat, distress
• ताप: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Etc.-marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थ/प्रकारार्थ (‘etc.’)

• अवमन्य: having disregarded
• अवमन्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव + मन् (धातु) → अवमन्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-ascetic in Kāśī stands or sits unmoved amid sun-heat and bustle, eyes calm, senses withdrawn; symbolic depictions of hunger/heat as personified forces fading before his steadiness.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is inner mastery—sense-restraint—supported by steadfast residence in the liberating field of Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is praised as the kṣetra where disciplined endurance and self-control become especially fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and patient endurance of bodily discomforts while staying in Kāśī.