Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

स्वभावमधुरां वाणीं वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे । सापत्नं प्रतिघं त्यक्त्वा राजनीतिविदांवरा

Transliteration

svabhāvamadhurāṃ vāṇīṃ vaktuṃ samupacakrame | sāpatnaṃ pratighaṃ tyaktvā rājanītividāṃvarā

Translation

ৰাজনীতি-বিদ্যাৰ শ্ৰেষ্ঠা সেইগৰাকী স্বভাৱত মধুৰ বাণীৰে কথা ক’বলৈ আৰম্ভ কৰিলে, সাপত্ন্যৰ কটুত্ব আৰু প্ৰতিঘাতৰ প্ৰবৃত্তি ত্যাগ কৰি।

Word by Word

• स्वभाव-मधुराम्: naturally sweet
• स्वभाव-मधुराम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; स्वभावेन मधुरा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘वाणीम्’ विशेषणम्

• वाणीम्: speech/voice
• वाणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजनार्थ (to speak)

• समुपचक्रमे: began/undertook
• समुपचक्रमे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सापत्नम्: rivalry (co-wife enmity)
• सापत्नम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सापत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिघम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रतिघम्: hostility/obstruction
• प्रतिघम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• राजनीति-विदाम्-वरā: the best among knowers of polity
• राजनीति-विदाम्-वरā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजनीति (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु; कृदन्त ‘विद्’→ ‘विद्/विद्वस्’ sense) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: राजनीतिविदाम् + वरā); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Skanda in Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sunīti begins speaking with naturally sweet voice; her face shows restraint, having set aside jealousy and the sting of co-wife rivalry; the child listens, still tense but attentive.

Characters & Entities

• Sunīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sweet speech and non-retaliation are marks of higher nīti; restraint preserves dharma even amid rivalry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework glorifies Kāśī, but this verse primarily teaches conduct within a royal household.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is ethical—renouncing hostile reaction and speaking gently.