Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तस्तंभ गात्रलतिका मुखवैवर्ण्यमाप च । स्वरोथ गद्गदो जातो व्यभ्रंशत्तत्करात्पटी

Transliteration

tastaṃbha gātralatikā mukhavaivarṇyamāpa ca | svarotha gadgado jāto vyabhraṃśattatkarātpaṭī

Translation

ତାହାର କୋମଳ ଅଙ୍ଗପ୍ରତ୍ୟଙ୍ଗ ହଠାତ୍ ସ୍ତମ୍ଭିତ ହେଲା, ମୁଖବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମ୍ଲାନ ହେଲା; କଣ୍ଠ ଗଦ୍ଗଦ ହୋଇ ଅଟକିଗଲା, ଏବଂ ତାହାର ହାତରୁ ବସ୍ତ୍ରଟି ଖସି ପଡ଼ିଲା।

Word by Word

• tastaṃbha: became stiff / was paralyzed
• tastaṃbha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stambh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्; धातु: स्तम्भ्—‘स्तम्भति’

• gātra-latikā: the creeper-like limbs (her body)
• gātra-latikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gātra (प्रातिपदिक) + latikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gātrasya latikā)

• mukha-vaivarṇyam: paleness/discoloration of the face
• mukha-vaivarṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + vaivarṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mukhasya vaivarṇyam)

• āpa: attained / came to
• āpa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.); परस्मैपदम्; धातु: आप्—‘आप्नोति’

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

• svaraḥ: voice
• svaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom., 1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• gadgadaḥ: stammering, faltering
• gadgadaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gadgada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom., 1st), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘svaraḥ’)

• jātaḥ: became / arose
• jātaḥ: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन; धातु: जन्—‘जायते’

• vyabhraṃśat: fell down / slipped away
• vyabhraṃśat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhraṃś (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः वि-

• tat-karāt: from her hand
• tat-karāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), पञ्चमी (Ablative, 5th), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tasya karaḥ)

• paṭī: a cloth/garment
• paṭī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom., 1st), एकवचन (sg.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī (general kṣetra context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble woman suddenly stiffens; her complexion pales; her voice chokes; a cloth slips from her hand as attendants look on in alarm within a Kāśī courtyard/ghāṭ setting.

Characters & Entities

• Kalāvatī (implied)
• Jñānavāpī (context)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional intensity can overwhelm ordinary bodily control, indicating a mind absorbed beyond mundane awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jñānavāpī (context), whose proximity precipitates the devotee’s powerful inner state.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of devotional transformation.