Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तथा बहुतिथं कालं द्वीपोभूत्सोपि मंदरः । यियासुना च देवेन मंदरं चित्रकंदरम्

Transliteration

tathā bahutithaṃ kālaṃ dvīpobhūtsopi maṃdaraḥ | yiyāsunā ca devena maṃdaraṃ citrakaṃdaram

Translation

于是经由极长久的岁月，那曼陀罗山也仿佛成了孤岛。天神欲行离去，便趋向那洞窟奇丽的曼陀罗。

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/in that manner’)

• बहुतिथम्: for many days (lit. many-date)
• बहुतिथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-तिथ (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + तिथ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘बहुतिथ’ इति तत्पुरुषसमासः (बह्व्यः तिथयः यस्मिन्/यावत्) — used adverbially with ‘कालम्’

• कालम्: time, period
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वीपः: an island
• द्वीपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• मन्दरः: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• यियासुना: by (one) wishing to go
• यियासुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: या (धातु) + यियासु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; desiderative participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘यियासु’ = देसिदेरटिव (सन्नन्त) भावे कृदन्तः ‘to wish to go’ — instrumental: ‘by/with one wishing to go’

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

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• चित्रकन्दरम्: having wondrous caves
• चित्रकन्दरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र-कन्दर (प्रातिपदिक; चित्र + कन्दर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (चित्रा कन्दरा यस्य)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (typical frame; not stated in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast mountain with painted, ‘wondrous’ caverns; the Deva poised to depart, looking toward Mandara as if it were an island amid cosmic waters.

Characters & Entities

• Mandara
• Deva(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy landscapes can be portrayed as wondrous and set apart from ordinary space, inviting reverence and pilgrimage-mindedness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mandara, described as dvīpa-like and possessing marvelous caverns.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the verse continues the māhātmya-style description of the sacred locale.