Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नायं कलानिधेर्दोषो द्विजराजस्य तस्य वै । हित्वा त्रिनेत्रं कामेन कस्य नो खडितं मनः

Transliteration

nāyaṃ kalānidherdoṣo dvijarājasya tasya vai | hitvā trinetraṃ kāmena kasya no khaḍitaṃ manaḥ

Translation

இது அந்த கலாநிதி, அந்த த்விஜராஜனின் உண்மையான குற்றமல்ல; ஏனெனில் காமத்தால் மயங்கி மும்முகன் (திரிநேத்திரன் சிவன்) கூட விட்டு விடும்போது, யாருடைய மனம் சிதறி வழிதவறாது?

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kalānidheḥ: of the Moon (storehouse of digits)
• kalānidheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalānidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• doṣaḥ: fault
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvijarājasya: of the king of twice-born (Moon)
• dvijarājasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijarāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tasya: of that (one)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/demonstrative relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• hitvā: having abandoned
• hitvā: Sambandha (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• trinetram: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• trinetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trinetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāmena: by desire, with passion
• kāmena: Karana (Cause/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kasya: of whom
• kasya: Sambandha (Genitive in rhetorical question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• naḥ: of us
• naḥ: Sambandha (Genitive: of us)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

• khaḍitam: agitated/struck
• khaḍitam: Karta (Predicate adjective with manaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaḍita (कृदन्त; khaḍ/khad? धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues, commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vishveśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrim audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: the moon-lord (Soma) shown not as villain but as a being caught in kāma’s net; in the background, a subtle presence of Śiva (Trinetra) as the unmoved axis, emphasizing contrast between disturbance and stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Candramā (Kalānidhi)
• Śiva (Trinetra)
• Kāma (desire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire is a universal destabilizer; vigilance and dharmic restraint are needed even for the exalted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this line; it is reflective commentary within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse offers moral-theological reflection on kāma.