Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तच्चारुलोचनक्षेत्रे विचरंतौ च खंजनौ । सदैव शारदीं प्रीतिं निर्विशेते निजेच्छया

Transliteration

taccārulocanakṣetre vicaraṃtau ca khaṃjanau | sadaiva śāradīṃ prītiṃ nirviśete nijecchayā

Translation

அவளது அழகிய கண்கள் எனும் வயலில் திரியும் இரு வாலாட்டிக் குருவிகள் இலையுதிர் கால மகிழ்ச்சியை அனுபவிக்கின்றன.

Word by Word

• तत्: in that
• तत्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (neuter, locative singular) अर्थे ‘तस्मिन्’ (in that)

• चारु: beautiful
• चारु: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग (qualifier member)

• लोचन: eye
• लोचन: Sambandha (Genitive/qualifying relation within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; समासाङ्ग

• क्षेत्रे: in the region/field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचनम् (neuter, locative singular); चारु-लोचन-क्षेत्रे = ‘in the field/region of beautiful eyes’

• विचरन्तौ: wandering/moving about
• विचरन्तौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु) → विचरन्त् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (masc nom dual); खञ्जनौ-विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• खञ्जनौ: two wagtails (birds)
• खञ्जनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम् (masc nom dual)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• शारदीम्: autumnal
• शारदीम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शारदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (fem acc sg); प्रीतिम्-विशेषणम्

• प्रीतिम्: delight/joy
• प्रीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (fem acc sg)

• निर्विशेते: they enter/experience
• निर्विशेते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), प्रथमपुरुषः, द्विवचनम् (3rd person dual); आत्मनेपदम्

• निजेच्छया: by their own wish
• निजेच्छया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (fem instr sg); निज-इच्छया = ‘by their own will’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Her eyes are imagined as a ‘field’ where two wagtails (khañjana) wander, repeatedly entering an ‘autumnal delight’—cool, clear, bright śarad ambience reflected in the gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Aesthetic description (rasa) is used as a narrative device in Purāṇas to sustain attention and convey the grandeur of the sacred setting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī indirectly; the verse is embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred geography and storytelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.