Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

चेतःसमुद्रमाकुंच्य चिंताकल्लोलदोलितम् । सत्त्वरत्नं तमोग्राहं रजोविद्रुमवल्लितम्

Transliteration

cetaḥsamudramākuṃcya ciṃtākalloladolitam | sattvaratnaṃ tamogrāhaṃ rajovidrumavallitam

Translation

Hãy chế ngự biển cả của tâm, đang chao đảo bởi những làn sóng lo âu—nơi sattva như ngọc báu, tamas như cá sấu, và rajas như san hô quấn chặt.

Word by Word

• cetaḥsamudram: the ocean of the mind
• cetaḥsamudram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक) + samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—चेतसः समुद्रः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• ākuṃcya: having contracted/curbed
• ākuṃcya: Sambandha (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kuñc (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• ciṃtākalloladolitam: agitated by the waves of worry
• ciṃtākalloladolitam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक) + kallola (प्रातिपदिक) + dolita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) dolita; समासः—चिन्तायाḥ कल्लोलैः दोलितम् (instrumental sense within tatpuruṣa)

• sattvaratnam: the jewel of sattva (purity)
• sattvaratnam: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक) + ratna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—सत्त्वस्य रत्नम् (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• tamogrāham: the crocodile of darkness
• tamogrāham: Karma (Appositional object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक) + grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तमसः ग्राहः (genitive tatpuruṣa)

• rajovidrumavallitam: adorned with the corals of rajas (passion)
• rajovidrumavallitam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक) + vidruma (प्रातिपदिक) + vallita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त vallita; समासः—रजसः विद्रुमैः वल्लितम् (adorned/encircled with corals of rajas)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (inner tīrtha emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic seascape of the mind: a vast ocean churned by dark waves labeled ‘cintā’; within it glints a sattva-gem, a lurking tamas-crocodile, and branching rajas-coral that snares the swimmer; a yogin on the shore draws the waters inward through restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Guṇas (sattva, rajas, tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner restraint is urged: the mind is a turbulent ocean shaped by the guṇas, and calming it supports liberation-oriented living in the sacred sphere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the instruction appears within the Kāśī/Ānandavana māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic discipline is implied—mental restraint and reduction of anxiety—rather than an external ritual.