Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा हृष्टमना आसीच्चेतः स्थैर्यमवाप ह । अथ पाशुपतांस्तत्र स निरीक्ष्य तपोधनान्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭamanā āsīccetaḥ sthairyamavāpa ha | atha pāśupatāṃstatra sa nirīkṣya tapodhanān

Translation

ครั้นได้เห็นแล้ว เขาปีติยินดี และจิตก็ได้ความมั่นคง; แล้วจึงแลเห็นเหล่าตบะผู้ถือปาศุปตะ ณ ที่นั้น—ดุจทรัพย์แห่งตบะ—

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• हृष्ट-मनाः: with delighted mind
• हृष्ट-मनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (‘हृष्टं मनः यस्य’)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेतः: mind; consciousness
• चेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थैर्यम्: steadiness
• स्थैर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवाप: obtained
• अवाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ह: indeed; (narrative particle)
• ह: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-निपात (expletive/particle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha/Avyaya (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• पाशुपतान्: Pāśupatas (Śiva-devotees/sect)
• पाशुपतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• निरीक्ष्य: having observed
• निरीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund)

• तपोधनान्: those whose wealth is austerity (great ascetics)
• तपोधनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—बहुव्रीहिः (‘तपः धनं येषाम्’)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āmarakaṇṭaka (Amarkantak) / Revā-taṭa Oṃkāra sphere

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The pilgrim stands at the riverbank shrine, eyes bright with joy; nearby, a group of Pāśupata ascetics—ash-smeared, carrying staffs, rudraksha malas—sit in disciplined rows, some in meditation, some in linga worship.

Characters & Entities

• Damana
• Pāśupata
• Āmarakaṇṭaka
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha is known by its power to stabilize the mind and by the presence of realized devotees devoted to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting continues at Āmarakaṇṭaka on the Revā (Narmadā) bank, where Damana’s mind becomes steady.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the verse points toward Pāśupata observance as the living dharma present at the site.