Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कोपात्तपः क्षयं याति संचितं यत्सुकृच्छ्रतः । यथाभ्रपटलं प्राप्य प्रकाशः पुष्पवंतयोः

Transliteration

kopāttapaḥ kṣayaṃ yāti saṃcitaṃ yatsukṛcchrataḥ | yathābhrapaṭalaṃ prāpya prakāśaḥ puṣpavaṃtayoḥ

Translation

കോപം മൂലം മഹാകഷ്ടത്തോടെ സമ്പാദിച്ച തപസ്സും ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു; മേഘപടലം മുന്നിൽ വന്നാൽ പ്രകാശം മങ്ങുന്നതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• कोपात्: from anger
• कोपात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ

• तपः: austerity; penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: to destruction; to loss
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• याति: goes; comes to
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संचितम्: accumulated
• संचितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √चि (धातु) → संचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तपः-विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• सुकृच्छ्रतः: with great difficulty; from severe effort
• सुकृच्छ्रतः: Apadana (Manner/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (कृच्छ्रम्), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/उपायवाचक (with great difficulty)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (just as)

• अभ्र-पटलम्: a mass/layer of clouds
• अभ्र-पटलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पटल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• प्राप्य: having reached; upon encountering
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having reached/encountered

• प्रकाशः: light; brightness
• प्रकाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुष्पवंतयोः: of/among the flower-bearing (trees/plants)
• पुष्पवंतयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/Locative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (6th/7th Gen./Loc.), द्विवचन; (द्विवचन-रूप: -वतोः)

Speaker

Muni (sage) speaking (didactic)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant lamp/sun labeled ‘Tapas’ shines, while thick clouds labeled ‘Krodha’ roll in and dim the glow; a pilgrim-sage in Kāśī watches, hands in japa-mudrā.

Characters & Entities

• Kopa (anger)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is hard-won but easily diminished by anger; spiritual brilliance must be protected by calmness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader dharma message.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on cultivating kṣamā (forbearance) and serenity.