Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40
Devanagari script
अल्पोपि दूतसंबाधां न विदध्यात्कदाचन । किं पुनर्ये भवादृक्षा महांतो बलिनोऽधिपाः
Transliteration
alpopi dūtasaṃbādhāṃ na vidadhyātkadācana | kiṃ punarye bhavādṛkṣā mahāṃto balino'dhipāḥ
Translation
„Selbst ein Geringer sollte niemals einem Gesandten Schaden zufügen oder ihn bedrängen. Um wie viel mehr müssen mächtige, starke Herrscher wie du davon abstehen!“
Word by Word
अल्पःeven a small (person)
अल्पः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसम्भावना/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)
दूतसंबाधाम्obstruction/harassment of a messenger
दूतसंबाधाम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदूत+संबाधा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: दूतानां संबाधा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)
विदध्यात्should do / should cause
विदध्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवि-धा (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपदम्
कदाचनever
कदाचन:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचन (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)
किम्what (then)
किम्:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle, used idiomatically)
पुनःthen / moreover
पुनः:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः (अव्यय)
Formपुनरर्थक-अव्यय (again/then/more so)
येwho
ये:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
भवादृशाः(those) like you
भवादृशाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभवत्+दृश् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: भवदृशः (भवतः इव दृशः) बहुव्रीहिः; पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
महान्तःgreat
महान्तः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
बलिनःpowerful
बलिनः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootबलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
अधिपाःlords, rulers
अधिपाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)
Speaker
Kālarātrī
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Kālarātrī delivers a firm ethical maxim: even the lowly must not trouble envoys; mighty kings must be even more restrained—her gesture is instructive, the court listens.
Characters & Entities
D
Dūta (envoy/messenger)FAQs
Rājadharma includes protecting diplomatic norms; violating dūta-dharma is adharma, especially for the powerful.
None in this verse.
None.