Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

मनसातीवलोलोऽभूत्काशीदर्शनलालसः । सहस्रचरणोप्यैच्छत्तदा खे नैकपादताम्

Transliteration

manasātīvalolo'bhūtkāśīdarśanalālasaḥ | sahasracaraṇopyaicchattadā khe naikapādatām

Translation

കാശീദർശനലാലസയാൽ അവന്റെ മനസ്സ് അത്യന്തം അസ്ഥിരമായി. സഹസ്രപാദങ്ങളുള്ളവനായിട്ടും, വേഗത്തിൽ പോകാൻ അവൻ അന്ന് ആകാശത്തിൽ ഏകപാദത്വം ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• मनसा: in mind / mentally
• मनसा: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अतिशयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (intensifier)

• लोलः: restless
• लोलः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (रविः/सूर्यः) इति विशेषणम्

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• काशीदर्शनलालसः: eager to see Kashi
• काशीदर्शनलालसः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + लालस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (रविः/सूर्यः) इति विशेषणम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (काश्याः दर्शनस्य लालसः)

• सहस्रचरणः: one having a thousand feet (rays)
• सहस्रचरणः: कर्ता (Subject; with implied सूर्यः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः (यस्यानि सहस्रं चरणानि सः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

• ऐच्छत्: desired
• ऐच्छत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• खे: in the sky
• खे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• एकपादताम्: the state of having one foot
• एकपादताम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (तद्धित-प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त; (एकपादस्य भावः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya, burning with eagerness to see Kāśī, becomes mentally restless and seeks a swifter mode—symbolically desiring ‘one-footedness’ in the sky to go faster.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yearning for darśana of a sacred place is itself portrayed as a powerful devotional impulse that hastens one toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, whose very sight (darśana) is presented as so desirable that even Sūrya hastens toward it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights bhāva (inner longing) for Kāśī-darśana rather than an external rite.