Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

शीतोष्णभानू स्वर्भानु ग्रस्तावपि नभोंगणे । गतिं न त्यजतोद्यापि प्रक्रांतव्य कृतोद्यमौ

Transliteration

śītoṣṇabhānū svarbhānu grastāvapi nabhoṃgaṇe | gatiṃ na tyajatodyāpi prakrāṃtavya kṛtodyamau

Translation

ആകാശമണ്ഡലത്തിൽ ശീതലചന്ദ്രനും ഉഷ്ണസൂര്യനും സ്വർഭാനുവാൽ ഗ്രസിക്കപ്പെട്ടാലും അവരുടെ ഗതി ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുകയില്ല. അതുപോലെ പരിശ്രമം ആരംഭിച്ചവൻ ആരംഭിച്ച പാതയിൽ തന്നെ മുന്നേറണം।

Word by Word

• शीतोष्णभानू: the two luminaries (sun & moon)
• शीतोष्णभानू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (शीतोष्णौ भानू = ‘cold-and-hot suns’/‘sun and moon’ as luminaries); अत्र द्विवचनं युगलवाचकम्

• स्वर्भानु: by Svarbhānu (Rāhu)
• स्वर्भानु: Karana (Instrument/Agent cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्भानु (प्रातिपदिक; राहु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), एकवचन

• ग्रस्तौ: having been seized; eclipsed
• ग्रस्तौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु; ग्रसने) → ग्रस्त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Concessive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (even/although)

• नभोऽङ्गणे: in the expanse of the sky
• नभोऽङ्गणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नभसः अङ्गणे)

• गतिम्: course; movement
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case, accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• त्यजतः: they abandon
• त्यजतः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु; परित्यागे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• उद्य: still; yet
• उद्य: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (still/yet)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात

• प्रक्रान्तव्यौ: should proceed onward
• प्रक्रान्तव्यौ: Vidhana (Injunction predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-क्रम् (धातु; गत्यर्थे) → प्रक्रान्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be proceeded/should proceed’)

• कृतोद्यमौ: having made effort; industrious
• कृतोद्यमौ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त) + उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (कृतः उद्यमः ययोः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sky over Kāśī during an eclipse: sun and moon partially obscured by Svarbhānu, yet their paths implied; below, a pilgrim continues walking the ghats with unwavering intent.

Characters & Entities

• Svarbhānu
• Rāhu
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Obstacles are temporary; like eclipsed luminaries that keep moving, a seeker should not abandon a righteous course.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī frames the discourse, but this verse uses a cosmic example rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction; it is a moral-spiritual exhortation to steadfastness.