Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वाथ तद्वाक्यं भीता सा दीक्षितायिनी । प्रोवाच सा तु माध्याह्नीं क्रियां निष्पादयत्वथ

Transliteration

iti śrutvātha tadvākyaṃ bhītā sā dīkṣitāyinī | provāca sā tu mādhyāhnīṃ kriyāṃ niṣpādayatvatha

Translation

فلما سمعت كلامه خافت ديكشيتاييني. ثم قالت: «ليُتمَّ أولًا عملُ الظهيرة وواجبُه».

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) — having heard

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter accusative singular; modifies vākyaṃ

• vākyam: statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter accusative singular

• bhītā: afraid
• bhītā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhī (भी धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — frightened

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Pronoun, feminine nominative singular

• dīkṣitāyinī: the dīkṣitāyinī
• dīkṣitāyinī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣitāyinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Feminine nominative singular

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person singular

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Pronoun, feminine nominative singular

• tu: but
• tu: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• mādhyāhnīm: midday
• mādhyāhnīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mādhyāhnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Feminine accusative singular; विशेषण (to kriyām)

• kriyām: rite; act
• kriyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Feminine accusative singular

• niṣpādayatu: let (me/it) accomplish
• niṣpādayatu: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis+pad (पद् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person singular

• atha: then
• atha: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then)

Speaker

Dīkṣitāyinī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dīkṣitāyinī, visibly frightened, folds her hands and requests that the midday rite be completed first; behind her are arranged lamps, flowers, and a small altar ready for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Dīkṣitāyinī
• Dīkṣita
• mādyāhna-kriyā (midday rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nitya-karmas (daily duties) are treated as non-negotiable; dharma is upheld by completing prescribed rites at their proper time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though this verse highlights ritual discipline rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mādyāhna-kriyā (midday observance/rite) is mentioned as a duty to be performed on time.