Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

कलकंठः किलोत्कंठं मंजुगुंजति कुंजगः । ध्यानस्थः श्रोष्यति मुनिः पारावत्येति वार्यते

Transliteration

kalakaṃṭhaḥ kilotkaṃṭhaṃ maṃjuguṃjati kuṃjagaḥ | dhyānasthaḥ śroṣyati muniḥ pārāvatyeti vāryate

Translation

นกกาเหว่าเมื่ออาวรณ์อาลัย ก็ขับเสียงหวานกังวานในพงไพร “ฤๅษีกำลังตั้งมั่นในฌาน—ท่านจักได้ยิน!” ดังนี้นกพิราบตัวเมียจึงถูกห้ามมิให้ร้องเรียก

Word by Word

• कलकंठः: the black-throated one (cuckoo/koel)
• कलकंठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कलः कण्ठः यस्य)

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अर्थे—खलु/नूनम् (indeed)

• उत्कण्ठम्: eager/longing
• उत्कण्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण

• मञ्जु: sweetly
• मञ्जु: Kriya-visheshana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मञ्जु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) रूपेण—मधुरम्/सुन्दरम्

• गुञ्जति: hums/coos
• गुञ्जति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कुञ्जगः: the grove-dweller (bird)
• कुञ्जगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (कुञ्जे गच्छति/वसति इति)

• ध्यानस्थः: absorbed in meditation
• ध्यानस्थः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ध्याने स्थितः)

• श्रोष्यति: will hear
• श्रोष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पारावती: ‘a female pigeon’
• पारावती: Karma (कर्म) (quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इति-पूर्वकं वाक्यांशः

• इति: thus/‘…’
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• वार्यते: is prevented/forbidden
• वार्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; descriptive narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet Kāśī grove: a sage seated in deep meditation; a cuckoo hums softly; a she-dove gently restrains her call, as if guarding the sage’s silence.

Characters & Entities

• Muni (sage)
• Pārāvatī (dove)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Respect for meditation and sacred silence is dharma; the holy ambience encourages restraint and inwardness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The scene aligns with the Avimukta/Kāśī sacred landscape surrounding a sage’s āśrama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit discipline of mauna (quiet) around a meditating sage; no formal ritual is specified.