Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

अहं दास्यस्मि रे बाल कद्र्वाश्च क्रूरचेतसः । पृष्ठे वहामि तां नित्यं तत्पुत्रानपि पुत्रक

Transliteration

ahaṃ dāsyasmi re bāla kadrvāśca krūracetasaḥ | pṛṣṭhe vahāmi tāṃ nityaṃ tatputrānapi putraka

Translation

Vinatā sprach: „Mein Kind, ich bin zur Dienerin der grausam gesinnten Kadrū geworden. Tag für Tag trage ich sie auf meinem Rücken — und auch ihre Söhne, mein lieber Sohn.“

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दास्यस्मि: I will give
• दास्यस्मि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• रे: hey!
• रे: Discourse/Vocative particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रे (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• बाल: O child; O boy
• बाल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कद्र्वाः: of Kadrū
• कद्र्वाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय (conjunction)

• क्रूर-चेतसः: of the cruel-minded (one)
• क्रूर-चेतसः: Visheshana (Adjectival to कद्र्वाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadharaya: ‘cruel-minded’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृष्ठे: on (my) back
• पृष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वहामि: I carry
• वहामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of frequency)

• तत्-पुत्रान्: her sons
• तत्-पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha: ‘her sons/those sons’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• पुत्रक: O dear son
• पुत्रक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vinatā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-ṛṣis / internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vinatā confesses she is enslaved to Kadrū and must carry her and her serpent-sons on her back; Garuḍa listens, anger and compassion rising.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Kadrū
• Nāgas (sons of Kadrū)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It reveals the reality of bondage and humiliation, preparing the ground for dharmic action that leads to release and restoration of dignity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named in this verse; it is part of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct statement of Vinatā’s condition.