Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

कः समुच्चलितं चेतस्तोयंवा संप्रतीपयेत् । प्रोच्चथानस्थितमपि स्वभावोयच्चलस्तयोः

Transliteration

kaḥ samuccalitaṃ cetastoyaṃvā saṃpratīpayet | proccathānasthitamapi svabhāvoyaccalastayoḥ

Translation

ใครเล่าจะทำจิตที่พลุ่งพล่านให้สงบได้—ดุจใครจะทำให้น้ำหยุดนิ่ง? แม้อยู่ในภาชนะ ธรรมชาติของทั้งสองก็ยังคงไหวกระเพื่อมไม่หยุด

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• समुच्चलितम्: agitated, stirred up
• समुच्चलितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उत् + चल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चेतः-विशेषणम्

• चेतः: mind, consciousness
• चेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive: or)

• संप्रतीपयेत्: could calm/turn back
• संप्रतीपयेत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्रति + ईप्/ईपय् (धातु; causative sense)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः: "शमयेत्/प्रतीपं नयेत्" (to calm/turn back)

• प्रोच्चथानस्थितम्: risen up, set in motion
• प्रोच्चथानस्थितम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + उत् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (उत्थानस्थित = risen/standing up)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (even/also)

• स्वभावः: nature, inherent disposition
• स्वभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: स्वस्य भावः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun: which/that)

• चलः: unsteady, fickle
• चलः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (unsteady)

• तयोः: of those two (mind and water)
• तयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/locative dual/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचन-रूपम्; षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th), द्विवचन (of/in those two)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A metaphor scene: a pot of water still rippling despite being held, mirrored by a human figure with a swirling aura around the head—showing the mind’s inherent motion.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Mind (cetas)
• Water (toya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mind’s instability is natural; spiritual progress requires disciplined restraint and higher support beyond mere intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Kāśī māhātmya by explaining why people still waver even near a liberating kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied discipline is steadiness of mind (citta-nirodha/saṃyama) in pursuit of dharma and mokṣa.