Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

ध्रुव उवाच । जनयित्रि सुनीते मे शृणु वाक्यमनाकुलम् । मा बाल इति मत्वा मामवमंस्थास्तपस्विनि

Transliteration

dhruva uvāca | janayitri sunīte me śṛṇu vākyamanākulam | mā bāla iti matvā māmavamaṃsthāstapasvini

Translation

Dhruva sprach: Mutter Sunīti, höre meine Worte ohne Unruhe. Verachte mich nicht in dem Gedanken: „Er ist nur ein Kind“, o Asketin.

Word by Word

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• जनयित्रि: O mother (begetter)
• जनयित्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनयितृ (प्रातिपदिक; √जन् caus. ‘to beget’ + तृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सुनीते: O Sunīti
• सुनीते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध) एकवचन; enclitic

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अनाकुलम्: unconfused/calm
• अनाकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाकुल (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + आकुल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive)

• बालः: a child
• बालः: Karma (Object of thought/quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘child’ (quoted predicate)

• इति: thinking ‘thus’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; ‘having thought/considered’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• अवमंस्थाः: despise/insult
• अवमंस्थाः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√मन्/मन्थ् (धातु; ‘to despise/insult’)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; निषेध ‘मा’ सह: ‘do not despise’

• तपस्विनि: O ascetic lady
• तपस्विनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विनी (प्रातिपदिक; तपस् + इनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Dhruva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva speaks with respectful firmness—palms joined then one hand extended in earnest appeal; Sunīti’s face shows surprise and concern; the child’s aura of tapas begins to appear.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual determination is not limited by age; sincere resolve deserves to be heard and supported.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s narrative teaching section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; Dhruva appeals for support for a path of tapas.