Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अर्क उवाच । नाथ काशीमितो गत्वा यथाशक्ति कृतोपधिः । अकिंचित्करतां प्राप्तः सहस्रकरवानपि

Transliteration

arka uvāca | nātha kāśīmito gatvā yathāśakti kṛtopadhiḥ | akiṃcitkaratāṃ prāptaḥ sahasrakaravānapi

Translation

อรฺกะกล่าวว่า: “ข้าแต่นาถะ ข้าพเจ้าไปจากที่นี่สู่กาศี และได้กระทำตามกำลังอันจำกัดของตน บัดนี้กลับตกอยู่ในภาวะไร้ที่พึ่ง—ทั้งที่ข้าพเจ้าเป็นผู้มีรัศมีพันสาย”

Word by Word

• अर्कः: Arka
• अर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; वक्ता/कर्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• काशीम्: Kāśī
• काशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (destination)

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = from here

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); 'having gone'

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Sambandha/Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = according to/as

• शक्ति: ability
• शक्ति: Sambandha (Idiomatic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'यथाशक्ति' इत्यत्र अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे आधार

• कृत: done/made
• कृत: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'उपधिः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• उपधिः: deceit/stratagem
• उपधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ-सम्बन्धे विशेषण-समासवत् 'कृतोपधिः' = one who has made a deceit/stratagem

• अकिञ्चित्: nothing
• अकिञ्चित्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकिञ्चित् (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिकं, अव्ययवत्; 'nothing'—'करताम्' इत्यस्य पूर्वपद

• करताम्: state of having nothing (poverty)
• करताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'अकिञ्चित्करताम्' = state of having nothing in hand (poverty)

• प्राप्तः: (I) have attained
• प्राप्तः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'I have attained' (elliptic finite sense)

• सहस्र: thousand
• सहस्र: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, अव्ययवत् पूर्वपद; 'करवान्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• करवान्: having hands/rays
• करवान्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'having hands/rays'—अत्र 'सूर्य' विशेषणम्

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive particle)

Speaker

Arka (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Arka speaks with folded hands, rays dimmed or drawn inward; behind him, a faint vision of Kāśī; before him, Śiva listening, calm and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Arka (Sūrya)
• Śiva (Nātha)
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s divine order and Śiva’s governance can humble even cosmic powers; true strength bows to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly named and presented as a spiritually decisive realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes humility and accountability before Śiva regarding actions in Kāśī.