Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

अथोंकृत्यावहेलं वा यामि चेच्च कथंचन । क्रोधान्निरीक्षेत्त्र्यक्षो मां विषं पेयं तदा मया

Transliteration

athoṃkṛtyāvahelaṃ vā yāmi cecca kathaṃcana | krodhānnirīkṣettryakṣo māṃ viṣaṃ peyaṃ tadā mayā

Translation

Oder wenn ich irgendwie mit einem bloßen verächtlichen „hūṃ“ fortgehe—sollte der Dreiäugige Herr mich im Zorn ansehen, wäre es für mich besser, Gift zu trinken.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अथ-शब्दः (then/now)

• उत्कृत्य: having done / having made
• उत्कृत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/त्वान्त), कर्तरि

• अवहेलाम्: disrespect
• अवहेलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवहेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• यामि: I go
• यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• कथंचन: somehow
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + चन (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite manner adverb)

• क्रोधात्: from anger
• क्रोधात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• निरीक्षेत्: should look (at)
• निरीक्षेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्र्यक्षः: the three-eyed one (Śiva)
• त्र्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि अक्षाणि यस्य)

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

• विषम्: poison
• विषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पेयम्: to be drunk
• पेयम्: Karya (Obligation/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; यत्/अनीयर्-प्रत्ययार्थक (gerundive/भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (to be drunk)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Mārtaṇḍa (Sūrya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara (Mandarācala) / Śiva-sannidhi (implied)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārtaṇḍa imagines uttering a contemptuous ‘hūṃ’; instantly the scene darkens as Śiva’s three-eyed gaze turns fierce—so dreadful that poison seems preferable. The contrast between a tiny figure and cosmic wrath dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Tryakṣa (Śiva)
• Mārtaṇḍa (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contempt toward the Divine is spiritually ruinous; reverence and completion of duty are safer than defiant action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Kāśī framework; it does not name a distinct tīrtha but reinforces Śiva’s sovereignty within the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; ‘drinking poison’ is a hyperbolic expression of dread, not a ritual instruction.