Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मनोरथोपदेष्टा च कुत्रचित्क्वापि नेक्षितः । कदाचिद्दैवयोगात्स दमनो नाम तापसः

Transliteration

manorathopadeṣṭā ca kutracitkvāpi nekṣitaḥ | kadāciddaivayogātsa damano nāma tāpasaḥ

Translation

他也未曾在任何处见到能指示他通往心之真愿的导师；然而有一次，因天意之合，那名为达摩那（Damana）的苦行者（与他相遇）。

Word by Word

• मनोरथ-उपदेष्टा: an instructor of (his) desires/mental fancies
• मनोरथ-उपदेष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपदेष्टृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘मनोरथस्य उपदेष्टा’)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुत्रचित्: somewhere
• कुत्रचित्: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘somewhere’)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘anywhere/somewhere’)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ईक्षितः: seen; observed
• ईक्षितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कदाचित्: once; at some time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: ‘at some time’)

• दैव-योगात्: due to a chance conjunction of fate
• दैव-योगात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative, 5th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘दैवस्य योगः’)

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

• दमनः: Damana
• दमनः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Nipata (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-निपात (indeclinable indicating name)

• तापसः: an ascetic
• तापसः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wandering seeker at a crossroads or forest edge, looking for guidance; a radiant ascetic (Damana) appears unexpectedly, suggesting providence—subtle light breaking through clouds.

Characters & Entities

• Damana
• daiva-yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The seeker’s fulfillment depends not only on effort but also on daiva (grace/providence) and right instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The specific site is not yet named here; the narrative signals an imminent divinely guided discovery.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on providence and the necessity of proper upadeśa (guidance).