Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अजशावी वराक्येषा तर्हि प्रागनुगृह्यताम् । वक्तुं पशुत्वान्नोवेत्ति किंचिन्मद्भक्तिपेशला

Transliteration

ajaśāvī varākyeṣā tarhi prāganugṛhyatām | vaktuṃ paśutvānnovetti kiṃcinmadbhaktipeśalā

Translation

„Dieses arme Wesen ist Ziege und Schaf; erweise ihr zuerst Gnade. In ihrem tierischen Zustand kann sie nicht sprechen—doch trägt sie eine zarte Neigung zur Hingabe an Mich.“

Word by Word

• अजशावी: Ajaśāvī (name/‘goat-and-ewe’)
• अजशावी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक) + शावी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular; dvandva: 'goat-and-ewe' i.e., a pair/animals; used as epithet/name)

• वराकी: the poor woman
• वराकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun: feminine nominative singular)

• तर्हि: then
• तर्हि: Sambandha (Inference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तर्हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conclusive particle: 'then/therefore')

• प्राक्: first
• प्राक्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'first/beforehand')

• अनुगृह्यताम्: let (her) be shown favor
• अनुगृह्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (imperative, 3rd person singular, middle; passive sense: 'let her be favoured')

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive: 'to speak')

• पशुत्वात्: because of animality
• पशुत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative singular: 'due to animal-nature')

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• उ: indeed
• उ: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd person singular, active)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किञ्चित् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (indefinite pronoun: neuter accusative singular; used adverbially 'anything/a little')

• मद्-भक्ति-पेशला: gentle in devotion to me
• मद्-भक्ति-पेशला: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + पेशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular; tatpuruṣa: 'tender/adept in devotion to me')

Speaker

Sulakṣaṇā (continuing her request to Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the episode (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sulakṣaṇā pleads: ‘This poor goat-sheep—grant her grace first.’ The animal stands quietly, unable to speak, yet radiating simple devotion; Śiva listens with compassionate gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Sulakṣaṇā
• Śiva
• Barkarī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion extends beyond humans; even those without speech or status can carry devotion and deserve grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī), whose sanctity is shown through stories where mercy and liberation operate powerfully.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the implied dharma is anugraha (showing grace) and kindness to living beings.