Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

वंशाधिरोहणे दक्षा रज्जुमार्गेण चेतरा । काचिद्वातुलचेष्टाऽभूत्पथि चीवरवेष्टना

Transliteration

vaṃśādhirohaṇe dakṣā rajjumārgeṇa cetarā | kācidvātulaceṣṭā'bhūtpathi cīvaraveṣṭanā

Translation

ഒരാൾ മുളക്കമ്പിൽ കയറുന്നതിൽ ദക്ഷയായി, മറ്റൊരാൾ കയറുപാതയിൽ നടന്നു. ഒരാൾ ഭ്രാന്തിനെയപ്പോലെ പെരുമാറി, മറ്റൊരാൾ വഴിയിൽ ചീവരം/ചീന്തിയ വസ്ത്രം ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റി നടന്നു.

Word by Word

• वंशाधिरोहणे: in climbing a bamboo/pole
• वंशाधिरोहणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश + अधिरोहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locus)

• दक्षा: skilled
• दक्षा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• रज्जुमार्गेण: by the rope-path/rope-way
• रज्जुमार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रज्जु + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण (means)

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

• इतरā: another (woman)
• इतरā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• काचित्: some (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा

• वातुलचेष्टा: one with mad/erratic behavior
• वातुलचेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वातुल + चेष्टा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अभूत्: was/became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पथि: on the road/way
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• चीवरवेष्टना: one who wraps (herself) in rags/robes
• चीवरवेष्टना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चीवर + वेष्टना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bamboo-pole climber performing near a ghāṭa; a tightrope walker crossing above a lane; a woman with wild, ‘mad’ gestures; another wrapped in torn rags walking the road—temple spires and Gaṅgā steps behind, onlookers mixed with pilgrims.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī contains extremes of human conduct and appearance; the kṣetra narrative holds that sanctity can encompass even the socially marginal and unusual.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra in general; no named tīrtha is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.