Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

अभिलाषेषु सर्वेषु जागर्त्येको हृदीह मे । अद्यापि मार्गणः कोपि द्रष्टव्यः स्वतनोरपि

Transliteration

abhilāṣeṣu sarveṣu jāgartyeko hṛdīha me | adyāpi mārgaṇaḥ kopi draṣṭavyaḥ svatanorapi

Translation

在我一切欲愿之中，唯有一愿在我心中长醒：即使到今日，我也必须寻得一人——其德行堪受我自身之身——以便我能施与。

Word by Word

• अभिलाषेषु: among desires
• अभिलाषेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिलाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative, Plural)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Locative, Plural); विशेषण

• जागर्ति: is awake; remains alert
• जागर्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular)

• एकः: one (single)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण

• हृदि: in (my) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• मे: my; of me
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today; even now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: today/now)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle: even/also)

• मार्गणः: a seeker; searcher
• मार्गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• कः: someone; any (who?)
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• अपि: some; any
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात (enclitic: some/any)

• द्रष्टव्यः: to be seen; should be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be seen)

• स्वतनुः: of one’s own body
• स्वतनुः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular); कर्मधारय (स्वा तनुः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle: even)

Speaker

A dharmaśīla king (addressing a Brāhmaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in contemplation, hand on heart, scanning for a worthy ascetic or Brāhmaṇa guest; the streets/ghāṭas of Kāśī show pilgrims and mendicants, suggesting the search for the right ‘pātra’.

Characters & Entities

• Dāna (implied)
• Brāhmaṇa (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The noblest longing is the longing to give—seeking opportunities for dāna as a daily spiritual vigilance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī framework, where charity and hospitality are praised as tīrtha-like acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No fixed rite; the ‘prescription’ is the attitude of continual dāna and searching for a worthy recipient.