Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दूतीषु कोनुरागोयं महाराजाल्पिकास्विह । अनायासेन च वयमायास्यामस्तदागमात्

Transliteration

dūtīṣu konurāgoyaṃ mahārājālpikāsviha | anāyāsena ca vayamāyāsyāmastadāgamāt

Translation

„Was ist dies für eine Anhaftung an bloße weibliche Boten, o großer König, da wir hier doch so gering sind? Wie dem auch sei: Wir werden ohne Mühe wiederkommen, wenn die bestimmte Zeit des Kommens eintrifft.“

Word by Word

• दूतीषु: among female messengers
• दूतीषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अनुरागः: attachment, fondness
• अनुरागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुराग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा+राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महान् राजा (कर्मधारयः); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• अल्पिकासु: in/among the insignificant (women)
• अल्पिकासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अनायासेन: without effort, easily
• अनायासेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनायास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) प्रयोगः; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• आयास्यामः: we shall come
• आयास्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th) एकवचन (singular) (अत्र ‘तस्य’ अर्थे)

• आगमात्: from (his/its) coming; because of the arrival
• आगमात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Kālarātrī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālarātrī dismisses the king’s attraction with cool disdain, asserting their insignificance as envoys and the certainty of their return when time dictates; the daitya’s desire is checked by her composure.

Characters & Entities

• Kālarātrī
• Daitya king
• Dūtī (female envoy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire directed toward what is improper (messengers) is condemned; self-control and respect for dharmic roles are upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.