Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

पितुर्यज्ञोत्सवो नाथ द्रष्टव्योऽत्र मया ध्रुवम् । देह्यनुज्ञां गमिष्यामि मा मे कार्षीर्वचोन्यथा

Transliteration

pituryajñotsavo nātha draṣṭavyo'tra mayā dhruvam | dehyanujñāṃ gamiṣyāmi mā me kārṣīrvaconyathā

Translation

„O Herr, das Opferfest meines Vaters muss ich hier gewiss schauen. Gewähre mir die Erlaubnis; ich werde gehen. Lass nicht zu, dass meine Worte sich als anders erweisen.“

Word by Word

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• यज्ञ-उत्सवः: the sacrificial festival
• यज्ञ-उत्सवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य उत्सवः)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• द्रष्टव्यः: must be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Predicate necessity)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रष्टव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दृश्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive): ‘to be seen’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (1st person pronoun), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अनुज्ञाम्: permission
• अनुज्ञाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• गमिष्यामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (prohibitive particle)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) / चतुर्थी (4th) एकवचन (enclitic); अत्र षष्ठी: ‘my’

• कार्षीः: you should do/make
• कार्षीः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; निषेधेन सह: ‘do not do’

• वचः: word/speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

Devī (Satī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-audience (frame, not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī addresses Śaṃbhu with earnestness: she must witness her father’s yajña; she asks permission, insisting her words not be thwarted—eyes resolute, posture supplicatory yet firm.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Satī)
• Śiva
• Devī’s father (Dakṣa—implied by yajña context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sincere intentions (family duty) must be weighed against higher discernment; seeking permission reflects dharmic restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is embedded in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa narrative setting, but the verse itself centers on the yajña episode rather than a local tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Attendance at a yajñotsava (sacrificial festival) is referenced, emphasizing the social-religious importance of yajña observance.