Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

तानि मन्येऽत्र मार्गेण स्रवंत्यविरतं शिशो । स्रवंतीश्च चिकीर्षंति प्रतिकूल जलाः किल

Transliteration

tāni manye'tra mārgeṇa sravaṃtyavirataṃ śiśo | sravaṃtīśca cikīrṣaṃti pratikūla jalāḥ kila

Translation

«Meu filho, penso que essas águas correm sem cessar por este mesmo caminho; e, ao correrem, parecem querer seguir contra a corrente.»

Word by Word

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मार्गेण: by the path/way
• मार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• स्रवन्ति: they flow
• स्रवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अविरतम्: unceasingly
• अविरतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अविरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• शिशो: of the child
• शिशो: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (Vedic/poetic form for शिशोः)

• स्रवन्तीः: flowing (ones)
• स्रवन्तीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रवत् (कृदन्त; स्रु-धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चिकीर्षन्ति: they wish to do
• चिकीर्षन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; desiderative (सन्) stem चिकीर्ष-

• प्रतिकूलाः: contrary, adverse
• प्रतिकूलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिकूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• जलाः: waters
• जलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Prayojaka-nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; hearsay/emphasis)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (ghāṭa zone of Avimukta)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a child (śiśu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A parent and child pause at a Kāśī ghat, watching Gaṅgā waters stream endlessly; eddies appear to run ‘against’ the main current, suggesting the river’s sentient will.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It evokes attentive contemplation of Kāśī’s sacred landscape, where even natural movement is portrayed as extraordinary and meaning-laden.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; this verse itself does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.