Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

ततश्चिंतामवापोच्चैर्दिग्भ्रांतिमपि चाप्तवान् । अहो बालिशबुद्धित्वात्कुतस्त्यक्तं गृहं मया

Transliteration

tataściṃtāmavāpoccairdigbhrāṃtimapi cāptavān | aho bāliśabuddhitvātkutastyaktaṃ gṛhaṃ mayā

Translation

Rồi chàng rơi vào nỗi lo âu lớn, thậm chí lạc hướng. “Than ôi! Vì trí dại trẻ thơ, cớ sao ta lại bỏ nhà mà đi?”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• cintām: anxiety; worry
• cintām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• avāpa: obtained; fell into
• avāpa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√āp (अव+आप्)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• uccaiḥ: greatly; loudly; intensely
• uccaiḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• dig-bhrāntim: disorientation (loss of direction)
• dig-bhrāntim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; समास: दिशां भ्रान्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: also/even)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• āptavān: he obtained/experienced
• āptavān: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfective participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (he had obtained)

• aho: alas! oh!
• aho: Bhava-prakashaka (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मय/खेदबोधक उद्गार (interjection)

• bāliśa-buddhitvāt: because of foolishness
• bāliśa-buddhitvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; समास: बालिशा बुद्धिः (कर्मधारय) + तद्धितान्त भाववाचक -त्व; अपादान/हेतुवाचक (because of)

• kutaḥ: from where? how? why?
• kutaḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• tyaktam: abandoned
• tyaktam: Kriya (Implied action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज्) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोग (has been abandoned)

• gṛham: house
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana/Karta (Agent/instrument in passive sense/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya; Harikeśa’s inner speech reported)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implicit city-space as teacher)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Harikeśa stands at a crossroads, anxious and lost, looking in all directions; his posture collapses into self-reproach as he laments abandoning home.

Characters & Entities

• Harikeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Impulsive rejection of duty leads to confusion and remorse; dharma emphasizes thoughtful action and respect for guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse is a narrative moment within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.