Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

उदयानुदयौ प्राज्ञैर्द्रष्टव्यौ पुष्पवंतयोः । सदैकरूपताऽत्याज्या हर्षाहर्षौ ततोऽध्रुवौ

Transliteration

udayānudayau prājñairdraṣṭavyau puṣpavaṃtayoḥ | sadaikarūpatā'tyājyā harṣāharṣau tato'dhruvau

Translation

പുഷ്പമുള്ള സസ്യങ്ങളിൽ ഉദയവും അനുദയവും കാണുന്നതുപോലെ, പ്രാജ്ഞർ ഉയർച്ച-താഴ്ച കാണണം; എപ്പോഴും ഒരേപോലെ ഇരിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം—അതുകൊണ്ട് ഹർഷവും വിഷാദവും സ്ഥിരമല്ല.

Word by Word

• उदय: rise/prosperity
• उदय: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• अनुदयौ: non-rise/decline
• अनुदयौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुदय (प्रातिपदिक; अन् + उदय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• प्राज्ञैः: by the wise
• प्राज्ञैः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• द्रष्टव्यौ: are to be observed
• द्रष्टव्यौ: Karta-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत्
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle) = ‘to be seen’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• पुष्पवतयोः: of the two flowering (trees/creepers)
• पुष्पवतयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्पवत् (प्रातिपदिक; पुष्प + वत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘पुष्पवत्’ = having flowers

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• एकरूपता: uniformity/being of one form
• एकरूपता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + रूपता (प्रातिपदिक; रूप + ता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं रूपं यस्याः सा)

• अत्याज्या: should be abandoned
• अत्याज्या: Karta-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + √त्यज् (धातु) + ण्यत्
• Form: ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive) = ‘to be abandoned’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-अति

• हर्ष: joy
• हर्ष: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे द्विवचन)

• अहर्षौ: non-joy/sorrow
• अहर्षौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहर्ष (प्रातिपदिक; अ + हर्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha/Reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• अध्रुवौ: unstable/impermanent
• अध्रुवौ: Karta-predicative (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक; अ + ध्रुव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution continuing from Skanda uvāca)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise teacher points to a flowering tree: blossoms open and fall; nearby the Ganga flows past ghats, reminding the listener that joy and sorrow pass like seasons.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing rise and fall as natural helps cultivate equanimity; clinging to permanence causes distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; it is a wisdom-teaching within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes a contemplative attitude—observing impermanence and letting go of rigid expectations.