Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

क्षणमप्येकमुदकं यथा न स्थिरतामियात् । वाताहतं यथा चित्तं तस्मात्तस्य न विश्वसेत्

Transliteration

kṣaṇamapyekamudakaṃ yathā na sthiratāmiyāt | vātāhataṃ yathā cittaṃ tasmāttasya na viśvaset

Translation

ดุจน้ำที่แม้เพียงชั่วขณะก็ไม่ตั้งมั่น ฉันใด จิตที่ถูกลมแห่งกิเลสตัณหากระทบก็หวั่นไหวฉันนั้น. เพราะเหตุนั้นจึงไม่ควรไว้วางใจจิตเช่นที่เป็นอยู่

Word by Word

• क्षणम्: a moment
• क्षणम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adjunct)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अप्यर्थ/समुच्चयार्थ

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/यथार्थक (comparative)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• स्थिरताम्: steadiness
• स्थिरताम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिरता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन

• इयात्: would attain/go to
• इयात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाताहतम्: struck by wind
• वाताहतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात (प्रातिपदिक) + आहत (कृदन्त, √हन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वातेन आहतम्)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानार्थक

• चित्तम्: mind
• चित्तम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: सम्बन्ध (Conclusive adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्राय (ablatival adverb), हेत्वर्थ: 'therefore/from that'

• तस्य: of it/of that (mind)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: do not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• विश्वसेत्: should trust
• विश्वसेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विश्वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pilgrim-seekers/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close view of rippling water on the Ganga; above it, a translucent overlay of a human mind-symbol (fluttering banner or leaf) tossed by gusts, illustrating citta’s instability; an ascetic watches with discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Citta (mind)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mind is inherently unstable; spiritual life requires disciplined stabilization rather than blind reliance on mental impulses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

In the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting, Kāśī is the sacred ground where such yogic discernment and mind-training are taught for mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is stated; the practical instruction is to recognize mental instability and undertake control/training.