Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

मंदरेत्र रतिर्मे न भृशं सुंदरकंदरे । अनच्छतुच्छपानीये नक्रस्येवाल्पपल्वले

Transliteration

maṃdaretra ratirme na bhṛśaṃ suṃdarakaṃdare | anacchatucchapānīye nakrasyevālpapalvale

Translation

സുന്ദര ഗുഹകളുള്ള മന്ദരത്തിലുമെനിക്ക് അത്യധികം രതി ഇല്ല; മങ്ങിയതും കുറവുമായ വെള്ളമുള്ള ചെറിയ ആഴമില്ലാത്ത കുളത്തിൽ മുതലയ്ക്ക് ആനന്ദമില്ലാത്തതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• मन्दरे: in Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इत्र: here
• इत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘here’)

• रतिः: delight/attachment
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (enclitic)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘excessively’)

• सुन्दर-कन्दरे: in a beautiful cave
• सुन्दर-कन्दरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं कन्दरम्)

• अनच्छ-तुच्छ-पानीयॆ: in water that is unclear and scanty
• अनच्छ-तुच्छ-पानीयॆ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनच्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + तुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक) + पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारयः (अनच्छं तुच्छं पानीयम्)

• नक्रस्य: of a crocodile
• नक्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय

• अल्प-पल्वले: in a small pond
• अल्प-पल्वले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + पल्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अल्पं पल्वलम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara (contrast) / Kāśī (implied)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A simile: Mandara’s lovely caves still do not delight; like a crocodile uninterested in a small, muddy, shallow pool—implying the speaker’s preference for Kāśī’s ‘deep waters’.

Characters & Entities

• Mandara (mountain)
• Kāśī (implied as the preferred kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer beauty is not the measure of spiritual fulfillment; the truly liberating kṣetra (Kāśī) surpasses merely pleasant places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is glorified by contrast, presented as the place of deeper spiritual ‘rati’ compared to Mandara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a value-judgment emphasizing the primacy of the liberating kṣetra.