Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

हाहतोस्मीति वचसा हृदयं समताडयत् । मूर्च्छामवाप महतीं पुत्रशोकसमाकुलः

Transliteration

hāhatosmīti vacasā hṛdayaṃ samatāḍayat | mūrcchāmavāpa mahatīṃ putraśokasamākulaḥ

Translation

Clamando: «Ai de mim, estou arruinado!», feriu o próprio coração com suas palavras; e, tomado pela dor do filho, caiu num grande desmaio.

Word by Word

• हा: alas!
• हा: Sambodhana/Exclamation (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्गार/विस्मयादि-निपात (interjection)

• हतः: ruined/struck down
• हतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘struck/ruined’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-निपात (quotative particle)

• वचसा: with (these) words
• वचसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• हृदयम्: heart
• हृदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समताडयत्: struck/beat
• समताडयत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ताड् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• मूर्च्छाम्: fainting/swoon
• मूर्च्छाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्च्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप: attained/reached
• अवाप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महतīm: great
• महतīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पुत्रशोकसमाकुलः: overwhelmed by grief for his son
• पुत्रशोकसमाकुलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र-शोक-समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘agitated by grief for (his) son’

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda-to-Agastya context, deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (traditional frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvānara cries ‘Hā hataḥ asmi’ and collapses; his body slackens into a swoon while his wife reaches out, the room spinning with the weight of son-sorrow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment brings intense suffering; Purāṇic narratives often portray grief to guide the listener toward steadiness and refuge in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred backdrop, but this verse is focused on the character’s emotional response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.