Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

निर्मथ्यमानात्क्षीरोदात्पूर्वमप्सरसस्त्वमूः । निःसृतास्त्रिजगज्जेतुर्मोहनास्त्रमनोभुवः

Transliteration

nirmathyamānātkṣīrodātpūrvamapsarasastvamūḥ | niḥsṛtāstrijagajjeturmohanāstramanobhuvaḥ

Translation

当乳海初次被搅拌之时，这些阿普萨罗便从中涌现；她们乃意生神摩诃布（迦摩）迷惑众生之幻惑之器，为征服三界者之迷人武器。

Word by Word

• nirmathyamānāt: from (the ocean) being churned
• nirmathyamānāt: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir- (उपसर्ग) + math (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/मान), कर्मणि प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘निर्मथ्यमान’ = being churned

• kṣīrodāt: from the Milk Ocean
• kṣīrodāt: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra-uda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः): kṣīrasya udaḥ = ‘ocean of milk’

• pūrvam: formerly/first
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• apsarasaḥ: Apsarases
• apsarasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (वैदिक/पुराणप्रयोगे -as-शब्दस्य बहुवचनरूपम्)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• amūḥ: those (women)
• amūḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• niḥsṛtāḥ: emerged
• niḥsṛtāḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis- (उपसर्ग) + sṛ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), परस्मैपद-धातु; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘niḥsṛta’ = come forth/emerged

• tri-jagat-jetuḥ: of the conqueror of the three worlds
• tri-jagat-jetuḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + jetṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘त्रिजगत्-जेतृ’ = conqueror of the three worlds

• mohana-astram: the deluding weapon
• mohana-astram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mohana (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः: ‘मोहना अस्त्रम्’ = deluding weapon

• manobhuvaḥ: of Manobhū (Kāma)
• manobhuvaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + bhū (धातु; क्तिन्/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ‘मनसः भूः’ = mind-born (Kāma)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual) / Kṣīroda-samudra (mythic)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Ocean of Milk being churned with Mandara as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope; from the foaming waters emerge radiant apsarās—beautiful yet emblematic of mohana (delusion).

Characters & Entities

• Kṣīroda (Ocean of Milk)
• Apsarāḥ
• Manobhū (Kāma)
• trijagat (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames enchantment and desire as powerful forces in the cosmos, urging restraint and clarity so that dharma is not overruled by मोह (delusion).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; the verse provides mythic background within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa teaching context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it recounts origin (utpatti) connected to the churning of the Ocean of Milk.