Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

विनताविनताधारा वदंतीति यथागतम् । कद्रूनिवेशनं प्राप्ता तस्या दास्यमचीकरत्

Transliteration

vinatāvinatādhārā vadaṃtīti yathāgatam | kadrūniveśanaṃ prāptā tasyā dāsyamacīkarat

Translation

„Wie die Überlieferung der Reihe nach berichtet, gelangte Vinatā, erniedrigt, zur Wohnstatt Kadrūs und nahm die Knechtschaft bei ihr an.“

Word by Word

• vinatā-vinatā-dhārāḥ: (those) bearing Vinatā (i.e., her attendants/supporters)
• vinatā-vinatā-dhārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinatā (प्रातिपदिक) + vinatā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विनतायाः विनताधाराः = विनतां धारयन्त्यः)

• vadanti: they say
• vadanti: Kriyā (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• yathā: as; according to
• yathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकार/अनुरूप (as/according to)

• āgatam: as it happened; as it came
• āgatam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Idiomatic adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgata (कृदन्त; √gam + ā उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (as it has come/occurred)

• kadrū-niveśanam: Kadrū's dwelling
• kadrū-niveśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadrū (प्रातिपदिक) + niveśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कद्रूयाः निवेशनम्)

• prāptā: having reached
• prāptā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; √āp + pra उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (having reached)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• dāsyam: servitude
• dāsyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• acīkarat: made (her do); imposed
• acīkarat: Kriyā (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) [causative stem cīkar-]
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: caused/made)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Kāśī Khaṇḍa (deductively: Skanda in discourse to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vinatā, once radiant, now humbled, approaches Kadrū’s residence and accepts servitude; nāga women and serpents surround Kadrū in a shadowed palace-like abode.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Kadrū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays the painful consequence of misfortune and dependence, setting the stage for liberation through resolve and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred frame of Vārāṇasī, though this particular verse narrates a family saga rather than a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative context describing Vinatā’s condition and Kadrū’s dominance.