Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

अपि सर्वगते क्वापि भिक्षां मा यच्छ सुंदरि । तथेत्युक्ता भवानी सा भवं भवनिवारणम्

Transliteration

api sarvagate kvāpi bhikṣāṃ mā yaccha suṃdari | tathetyuktā bhavānī sā bhavaṃ bhavanivāraṇam

Translation

«وإن كان يطوف في كل مكان، أيتها الحسناء، فلا تُعطيه صدقةَ الطعام في أي موضع». فلما خوطبت كذلك، وافقت بهافاني، مُزيلةُ صيرورةِ الدنيا ودورانها.

Word by Word

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्भावना/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (even/also)

• सर्वगते: in (him) who goes everywhere / all-pervading
• सर्वगते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-गत (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व; गत < √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘(व्यासे)’ इति अध्याहृतस्य विशेषणम् (locative)

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (anywhere)

• भिक्षाम्: alms
• भिक्षाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (Prohibition/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपात (prohibitive particle)

• यच्छ: give
• यच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यम् (धातु) (यच्छ = 2nd sg. imperative of यच्छति)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; निषेध ‘मा’ सह

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/thus)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative)

• उक्ता: having been told / addressed
• उक्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त (उक्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘भवानी’ इति विशेषणम्

• भवानी: Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• भवानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• भवनिवारणम्: remover of worldly existence
• भवनिवारणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव-निवारण (प्रातिपदिक; भव (संसार); निवारण < नि-√वृ (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘भवम्’ इति विशेषणम् (apposition)

Speaker

Śiva (Hara) speaking to Devī; narrated within Skanda’s discourse (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs Pārvatī with a calm but firm gesture; Pārvatī listens and assents, her expression compassionate yet resolute—suggesting that the forthcoming denial of alms is purposeful, not cruel.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Hara)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• Vyāsa
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual maturity is proven when support is withdrawn; endurance and faith remain steady even under divine testing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as the arena of Śiva-Śakti līlā that refines the saintly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse concerns the alms practice (bhikṣā) being deliberately withheld as a test.