Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रसरस्त्विंद्रियाणां च निवार्योत्र निवासिभिः । मनसोपि हि चांचल्यमिह वार्यं प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

prasarastviṃdriyāṇāṃ ca nivāryotra nivāsibhiḥ | manasopi hi cāṃcalyamiha vāryaṃ prayatnataḥ

Translation

ਇਥੇ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਣ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰ ਵੱਲ ਦੌੜਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਰੋਕਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਨਿਸਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਮਨ ਦੀ ਚੰਚਲਤਾ ਭੀ ਇਥੇ ਯਤਨ ਨਾਲ ਵਾਰਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• प्रसरः: the roaming/expansion
• प्रसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (conjunction/particle) — विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• इन्द्रियाणाम्: of the senses
• इन्द्रियाणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• निवार्यः: should be restrained
• निवार्यः: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + वṛ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be restrained’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here’

• निवासिभिः: by the residents
• निवासिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by the residents’

• मनसा: by the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — ‘also/even’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — हेत्वर्थ/निश्चय (indeed/for)

• चाञ्चल्यम्: restlessness
• चाञ्चल्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाञ्चल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘here’

• वार्यम्: should be checked
• वार्यम्: Karya (Obligation/कार्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be checked/warded off’

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘with effort’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī resident sits in meditation near a quiet ghat at dawn, senses withdrawn; bustling city life is shown at a distance, emphasizing inner restraint amid sacred urban energy.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī-vāsa should be accompanied by inner discipline—sense-control and steadiness of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed not only as a place of merit but as a field demanding yogic restraint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A sādhana prescription: restrain the senses and curb mental restlessness through sustained effort.