Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततोपि न तदुत्साहभंगोभूद्दृढचेतसः । मध्ये मार्गं मृतस्यापि गुरोरिव गतिर्मम

Transliteration

tatopi na tadutsāhabhaṃgobhūddṛḍhacetasaḥ | madhye mārgaṃ mṛtasyāpi guroriva gatirmama

Translation

ถึงกระนั้น ความเพียรของผู้มีจิตมั่นคงก็ไม่เสื่อมสลาย ในกลางทางแห่งการเดินทาง แม้ท่านจะล่วงลับแล้ว วิถีของท่านก็เป็นดุจครูผู้ชี้นำหนทางแก่ข้าพเจ้า

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): 'ततः' = 'thereafter/from that'

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): 'also/even'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• tad-utsāha-bhaṅgaḥ: the breaking of that enthusiasm
• tad-utsāha-bhaṅgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + utsāha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'तस्य उत्साहस्य भङ्गः'

• abhūt: was/occurred
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• dṛḍha-cetasaḥ: of the firm-minded (one)
• dṛḍha-cetasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: 'दृढं चेतः यस्य' (as genitive qualifier)

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'in the middle'

• mārgam: path/way
• mārgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• mṛtasya: of the dead (one)
• mṛtasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त; √mṛ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle): 'dead'

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): 'even'

• guroḥ: of the teacher
• guroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• iva: like/as
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा/particle of comparison)

• gatiḥ: course/going/way
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• mama: my/of me
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; अस्मद्-शब्द

Speaker

Caṇḍikā (Devī), narrating to Skanda/Agastya-context audience

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim continues along a dusty path at mid-journey, eyes steady, holding a staff and prayer-beads; a subtle, luminous presence of the departed guru appears as a guiding line of light or a faint silhouette ahead, indicating ‘gati’ (course) as guidance.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍikā (Devī)
• Vasiṣṭha (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steadfast resolve (dṛḍha-citta) does not collapse; even the memory and guidance of a guru continues to direct one’s dharmic path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider passage belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa and moves toward the glorification of Kedāra within Kāśī’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes inner discipline and guru-oriented perseverance.