Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कुमारी क्रीडनीयानि कौतुकानि च देहि मे । दंतिदंतमयान्येव स्वहस्तरचितानि च

Transliteration

kumārī krīḍanīyāni kautukāni ca dehi me | daṃtidaṃtamayānyeva svahastaracitāni ca

Translation

„Als junges Mädchen gib mir Spielzeug und erfreuliche Kostbarkeiten—ja, aus Elfenbein vom Elefanten, und von deiner eigenen Hand gefertigt.“

Word by Word

• कुमारी: O maiden/young girl
• कुमारी: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्रीडनीयानि: playthings; things to play with
• क्रीडनीयानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रीडनीय (कृदन्त; √क्रीड् (धातु) + अनीय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावे अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (to be played with)

• कौतुकानि: toys; curios; amusements
• कौतुकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (my/to me-context)

• दंतिदंतमयानि: made of elephant tusk/ivory
• दंतिदंतमयानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंति-दंत-मय (प्रातिपदिक; दंति + दंत + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थे ‘दंतिदंत’ (elephant-tusk) + मय (made of)

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Modifier (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• स्वहस्तरचितानि: made by (your) own hand
• स्वहस्तरचितानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व-हस्त-रचित (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + हस्त + रचित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘रचित’ (कृदन्त; √रच् + क्त) विशेषण; स्वहस्तेन रचितानि (made by one’s own hand)

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

Speaker

Guru-kanyā (continuing), within Skanda’s narration to Agastya (context of Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young maiden petitions the divine artisan for playful curios and ivory-like toys, emphasizing hand-crafted delicacy and refined courtly intimacy.

Characters & Entities

• Guru-kanyā
• Tvāṣṭra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service extends to every member of the guru’s family; fulfilling duties with care supports dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; this verse itself is not tīrtha-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a request for crafted items.