Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कामक्रोधौ लोभमोहौ मत्सराहंकृती अपि । ते तत्र न भवेतां यत्तत्कालोपि न तं जयेत्

Transliteration

kāmakrodhau lobhamohau matsarāhaṃkṛtī api | te tatra na bhavetāṃ yattatkālopi na taṃ jayet

Translation

അവിടെ കാമവും ക്രോധവും, ലോഭവും മോഹവും, മത്‌സരവും അഹങ്കാരവും ഉദിക്കാതിരിക്കട്ടെ—അങ്ങനെ സമയമെത്തിയാലും കാലം പോലും അവനെ ജയിക്കാതിരിക്കും।

Word by Word

• काम-क्रोधौ: desire and anger
• काम-क्रोधौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• लोभ-मोहौ: greed and delusion
• लोभ-मोहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• मत्सर-अहंकृती: envy and egoism
• मत्सर-अहंकृती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्सर (प्रातिपदिक) + अहंकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb ‘there’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• भवेताम्: may they two be / may they exist
• भवेताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यत्: so that
• यत्: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/सम्बन्धक (yad as conjunction ‘so that/because’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• जयेत्: would conquer
• जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical tableau: the six inner enemies appear as shadowy figures at the edge of Kāśī, unable to enter; a dharmic figure stands steady, with Kāla depicted as a subdued wheel or dark deity held at bay by inner purity.

Characters & Entities

• Kāma
• Krodha
• Lobha
• Moha
• Matsara
• Ahaṃkāra/Ahaṃkṛti
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mastery over inner vices grants extraordinary resilience; self-control is portrayed as stronger than time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative milieu, reinforcing Kāśī as a dharma-centered sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it prescribes inner discipline—removal of desire, anger, greed, delusion, envy, and egoism.