Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

इति यावत्स संधत्ते धियं तज्जीवितैकिकाम् । तावत्पिपीलिका त्वेका मृतं क्वापि पिपीलिकम्

Transliteration

iti yāvatsa saṃdhatte dhiyaṃ tajjīvitaikikām | tāvatpipīlikā tvekā mṛtaṃ kvāpi pipīlikam

Translation

ขณะที่เขายังร้อยเรียงในใจเพียงความคิดเดียว—ห่วงใยแต่ชีวิตนั้น—ทันใดนั้นมดตัวหนึ่งก็นำมดที่ตายแล้วมาจากที่ใดสักแห่ง

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• यावत्: as long as, while
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणवाचक (as long as/while)

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

• संधत्ते: forms, composes
• संधत्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: सम्
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘संधत्ते’ = संयोजयति/निश्चिनोति (sets/frames, composes)

• धियम्: thought, understanding
• धियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (that)

• जीवित: life
• जीवित: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (life)

• एकिकाम्: single-pointed (on one thing)
• एकिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘एकिका’ = एकमात्रा/एकविषया (single-focused)

• तावत्: meanwhile, for that long
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावद्-कालपरिमाणवाचक (meanwhile/so long)

• पिपीलिका: an ant
• पिपीलिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• एका: one, single
• एका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्तान्त (dead)

• क्व: somewhere
• क्व: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक/अनिश्चित-देशवाचक (where/somewhere)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• पिपीलिकम्: an ant (one ant)
• पिपीलिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगभेद), द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पिपीलिक’ = चींटी (ant)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating the episode; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-liṅga-sthāna in Kāśī (to be revealed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single ant arrives carrying a dead ant and places it at a precise spot; the sage watches, mind turning from anxiety to insight; the ground is subtly highlighted as sacred.

Characters & Entities

• muni (sage)
• pipīlikā (ant)
• death (mṛta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even small events can become divine indicators; in sacred geography narratives, nature itself guides devotees toward hidden sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode functions within the glory of Kāśī-kṣetra, where concealed sacred forms are revealed through auspicious signs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse sets up a revelatory sign that leads toward worship.