Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

इत्थं तस्य महीजानेः सर्वत्र शुचिवर्तिनः । उन्मिषंतोप्यनिमिषा मनाक्छिद्रं न लेभिरे

Transliteration

itthaṃ tasya mahījāneḥ sarvatra śucivartinaḥ | unmiṣaṃtopyanimiṣā manākchidraṃ na lebhire

Translation

ଏହିପରି ସେହି ଭୂମିଜ ରାଜାଙ୍କ ଚାରିପାଖେ ସର୍ବତ୍ର ଶୁଚିବୃତ୍ତିରେ ଚଳିଥିବା ସଚେତନ ପାଳକମାନେ, ପଲକ ଝପକାଇଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅନିମେଷ ପରି ରହି, ଅତିସାନ ଛିଦ୍ର ମଧ୍ୟ ପାଇଲେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus, in this manner
• इत्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• तस्य: of him/that (king)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• महीजानेः: of the knower of the earth (king)
• महीजानेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī-jāna (प्रातिपदिक; मही + जान)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीजाना = भूमेः जानः/भूमिज्ञः)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• शुचिवर्तिनः: of one who abides in purity
• शुचिवर्तिनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci-vartin (प्रातिपदिक; शुचि + वर्तिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शुचौ वर्तते इति)

• उन्मिषन्तः: opening (their eyes), blinking
• उन्मिषन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: un-miṣ (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even, although
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; concessive/emphatic)

• अनिमिषाः: unblinking
• अनिमिषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-nimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + निमिष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), बहुवचन

• मनाक्: even a little
• मनाक्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: manāk (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाणवाचक/adverb of degree)

• छिद्रम्: a gap, opening, flaw
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chidra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• लेभिरे: they found/obtained
• लेभिरे: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue framework)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of vigilant, pure-conduct guardians encircling an earth-born king; their eyes wide and alert, scanning for the tiniest breach, creating a tense, sealed perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• the king (mahījāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dhārmic ruler leaves no ‘gap’ for adharma; purity of conduct itself becomes an impenetrable protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī-khaṇḍa setting frames the episode within the sacred field of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), even when the verse itself is not naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on śuci (purity) and vigilant dhārmic order.