Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

मुक्तकच्छमशौचं च संध्याकर्मविवर्जितम् । तं दृष्ट्वा तच्छरीरेहं संक्रांतो भोगलिप्सया

Transliteration

muktakacchamaśaucaṃ ca saṃdhyākarmavivarjitam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā taccharīrehaṃ saṃkrāṃto bhogalipsayā

Translation

വസ്ത്രധാരണത്തിൽ അശ്രദ്ധനായും അശൗചത്തിലുമായും സന്ധ്യാകർമ്മം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചവനായും ആയ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, ഭോഗലാലസയാൽ ഞാൻ ഇവിടെ തന്നെ അവന്റെ ശരീരത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मुक्तकच्छम्: (one) with loosened loincloth / dishevelled
• मुक्तकच्छम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्तकच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अशौचम्: impurity
• अशौचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशौच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• संध्याकर्मविवर्जितम्: devoid of twilight rites
• संध्याकर्मविवर्जितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संध्या-कर्म-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; विवर्जित = वि+वृज् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; समासः—संध्याकर्मस्य विवर्जितम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (absolutive/gerund)

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

• शरीरे: in (his) body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संक्रान्तः: entered / transferred
• संक्रान्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: संक्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+क्रम् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे (past participle used predicatively)

• भोगलिप्सया: due to desire for enjoyment
• भोगलिप्सया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग-लिप्सा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—भोगस्य लिप्सा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Preta (a departed spirit), speaking to a sage (tapodhana/munisattama) within Skanda’s Kāśī narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A sage (muni/munisattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A neglected brāhmaṇa—disheveled, impure, having abandoned saṃdhyā—stands vulnerable as a subtle preta-like entity, driven by enjoyment, slips into his body; the city of Kāśī looms in the distance as a looming sanctum of Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of daily dharma (like sandhyā rites) makes one vulnerable to lower impulses and harmful influences; discipline protects spiritual integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī/Varāṇasī is the larger sacred setting, where Śiva’s ordinance governs who may remain within its bounds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sandhyā-karma (sandhyā-vandana/twilight worship) is referenced as a duty that should not be abandoned.