Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

चित्रं पुत्र त्वरयति यातुं मे मानसांडजः । सुधाधाराधर इव बहिश्चिरयति त्वयि

Transliteration

citraṃ putra tvarayati yātuṃ me mānasāṃḍajaḥ | sudhādhārādhara iva bahiścirayati tvayi

Translation

真是奇异啊，孩子：我心所生之鸟急欲飞去；然而它又如承载甘露之流的云，因你而在外徘徊不去。

Word by Word

• चित्रम्: strangely; wondrously
• चित्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगे नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative: 'strangely/wondrously')

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• त्वरयति: hurries; urges
• त्वरयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्वर् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; सकर्मक

• यातुम्: to go
• यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), गमनार्थक

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• मानसाण्डजः: the mind-born (son)
• मानसाण्डजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्डज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मानसस्य अण्डजः)

• सुधाधाराधरः: a cloud bearing streams of nectar
• सुधाधाराधरः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुधायाः धारां धरति इति)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• चिरयति: delays; lingers
• चिरयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिरय् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; सकर्मक (to delay)

• त्वयि: in/with regard to you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sunīti (contextual attribution), within Skanda’s narration to Agastya (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic visualization: above the departing boy, a translucent bird formed of thought flutters forward, while a luminous nectar-bearing cloud hovers, reluctant to move away—symbolizing the mother’s mind lingering with the son.

Characters & Entities

• Sunīti
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse portrays inner conflict: the spirit urges renunciation, yet love and duty create delay—showing how devotion matures through struggle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is emotional and moral, not ritual instruction.