Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

सापि प्रत्युतभीतातं ध्रुवं ध्रुवविनिश्चयम् । नमस्कृत्य यथायातं याताव्यर्थमनोरथा

Transliteration

sāpi pratyutabhītātaṃ dhruvaṃ dhruvaviniścayam | namaskṛtya yathāyātaṃ yātāvyarthamanorathā

Translation

Auch sie, von Furcht ergriffen, verneigte sich vor Dhruva, dessen Entschluss wahrhaft unbeirrbar war, und ging den Weg zurück, den sie gekommen war, ihre Hoffnungen zunichte geworden.

Word by Word

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• प्रत्युत: indeed; on the contrary
• प्रत्युत: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्युत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/पर्यायार्थक-निपात (on the contrary/indeed)

• भीत-आतम्: the frightened, distressed (one)
• भीत-आतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (√भी + क्त) + आत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘भीतः आतः’ (frightened and distressed)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; ‘certainly’

• ध्रुवविनिश्चयम्: of firm determination
• ध्रुवविनिश्चयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव + विनिश्चय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘ध्रुवः विनिश्चयः यस्य’ (of firm resolve)

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + √कृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having saluted’

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (as/according to)

• आयातम्: as (she) had come
• आयातम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे—‘as (it was) come/arrived’

• याता: she went
• याता: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used finitely), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘went’

• अव्यर्थमनोरथा: whose desires were fulfilled
• अव्यर्थमनोरथा: Visheshana (Adjectival to सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + व्यर्थ + मनो-रथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘अव्यर्थाः मनोरथाः यस्याः’ (whose wishes are not futile)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The once-menacing female/leader figure of the bhūta-host (implied by ‘sāpi’) bows to Dhruva, then turns back and departs, her ambitions broken; Dhruva remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Bhūtāvalī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unwavering resolve grounded in dharma turns threats into surrender; spiritual firmness defeats fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kāśī’s sacred cycle in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; no distinct tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse underscores the fruit of steadfast practice rather than a formal rite.