Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

तदह्निनालभद्भिक्षां सशिष्यः स मुनिः क्वचित् । अथ सायंतनं कर्म कृत्वा छात्रैः समन्वितः

Transliteration

tadahninālabhadbhikṣāṃ saśiṣyaḥ sa muniḥ kvacit | atha sāyaṃtanaṃ karma kṛtvā chātraiḥ samanvitaḥ

Translation

ആ ദിവസം ശിഷ്യന്മാരോടുകൂടിയ ആ മുനിക്ക് എവിടെയും ഭിക്ഷ ലഭിച്ചില്ല. തുടർന്ന് വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളോടൊപ്പം സായാഹ്ന നിത്യകർമ്മം നിർവഹിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तदह्निना: on that day
• तदह्निना: कालाधिकरण/करण (Time circumstance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् अहनि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; ‘on that day/that day (as time-instrument)’

• अलभत्: he obtained
• अलभत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भिक्षाम्: alms
• भिक्षाम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सशिष्यः: with disciples
• सशिष्यः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (शिष्यैः सह यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; स मुनिः इति विशेषण

• स: he
• स: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: somewhere; at some time
• क्वचित्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/conjunction)

• सायंतनम्: evening (related)
• सायंतनम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सायंतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म इति विशेषण

• कर्म: rite/duty
• कर्म: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकर्म (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), ‘having done’

• छात्रैः: with students
• छात्रैः: सहकारक/सहयोग (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• समन्वितः: accompanied
• समन्वितः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अनु + इ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘accompanied/attended’

Speaker

Narrator voice within Skanda’s discourse (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk, the unfed sage and disciples sit near a quiet courtyard or ghat-side spot, performing evening rites—sipping ācamana, facing the proper direction, reciting mantras—while the city lights begin to glow.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Disciples/Students
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is maintained even in difficulty: daily rites continue regardless of hunger or disappointment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, where steadfast observance of nitya-karma is portrayed as integral to the city’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sāyaṃtana karma (evening duties, i.e., sandhyā-type observances) is explicitly mentioned.