Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

निरुद्ध्यमान चक्रेण चक्रीक्रेंकितभाषणैः । वदतीति किमत्रापि कामिता कामिनां वर

Transliteration

niruddhyamāna cakreṇa cakrīkreṃkitabhāṣaṇaiḥ | vadatīti kimatrāpi kāmitā kāmināṃ vara

Translation

ଚକ୍ର ଦ୍ୱାରା ନିରୋଧିତ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଚକ୍ରୀ (ଚକ୍ରବାକ) କର୍କଶ କ୍ରେଙ୍କିତ ଧ୍ୱନିରେ କହେ। ତେବେ, ହେ କାମିମାନଙ୍କ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଯେ ନିଜେ ହିଁ କାମିତା—ତାହା ବିଷୟରେ ଏଠାରେ ଆଉ କ’ଣ କୁହାଯିବ?

Word by Word

• निरुद्ध्यमानः: being restrained/checked
• निरुद्ध्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√रुध् (धातु, ‘निरोधे’)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present passive participle sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हंस/सारस-आदि)

• चक्रेण: by the wheel/disc (or by a circle)
• चक्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• चक्री-क्रेंकित-भाषणैः: with (their) creaking calls of the cakravāka/cakrī birds
• चक्री-क्रेंकित-भाषणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्री (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रेंकित (कृदन्त; √क्रेंक्/क्रङ्क् ‘ध्वनौ’ क्त) + भाषण (प्रातिपदिक; √भाष् ‘वक्तृ’ ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चक्रीणां क्रेंकितं भाषणं येषु तैः)

• वदति: (he/she) says
• वदति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु, ‘भाषणे’)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma/Predicate (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-निपात (particle: also/even)

• कामिता: desired/beloved
• कामिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कम् (धातु, ‘इच्छायाम्’) (णिच्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कामिनाम्: of lovers
• कामिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वर: O excellent one
• वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; poetic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (narrative landscape)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (frame) and rhetorically a ‘best of lovers’ within the poetic address

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cakravāka bird near a waterwheel or circular mechanism (suggested by ‘cakra’) cries out with creaking calls despite being held back; the narrator addresses a ‘best of lovers’, turning the scene into a romantic-philosophical analogy.

Characters & Entities

• Cakrī/Cakravāka (bird)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even under restraint, intense impulses express themselves—hinting at the need for higher discipline and sacred orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a named tīrtha; it supports the Kāśī setting by portraying extraordinary behavior within the sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a poetic, reflective statement within the narrative.