Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

कुरु मे सत्वरं कार्यं दक्षयज्ञं क्षयं नय । ये त्वां तत्रावमन्यंते तत्साहाय्यविधायिनः

Transliteration

kuru me satvaraṃ kāryaṃ dakṣayajñaṃ kṣayaṃ naya | ye tvāṃ tatrāvamanyaṃte tatsāhāyyavidhāyinaḥ

Translation

Erfülle schnell meine Aufgabe: Bringe Dakṣas Opferzeremonie zum Scheitern. Und jene dort, die dich entehren würden – die jenes Unterfangen unterstützen – sollen ebenfalls entsprechend behandelt werden.

Word by Word

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मे: for me / to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular; enclitic)

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कार्यम्: the task (to be done)
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कृत्य (gerundive) रूपेण ‘to be done’

• दक्षयज्ञम्: Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• दक्षयज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; दक्ष + यज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षयम्: destruction, ruin
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• नय: lead/bring
• नय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अवमन्यन्ते: disrespect/insult
• अवमन्यन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद-रूप) ‘that’—सम्बन्धे साहाय्य

• साहाय्य: assistance
• साहाय्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहाय्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग) ‘help/assistance’

• विधायिनः: those who render/provide
• विधायिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; वि + धा धातोः णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्राय (agent noun)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣa-yajña-sthala (Kankhal) referenced; Kāśī as narrative sanctum

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vīrabhadra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva issues a swift, uncompromising order to Vīrabhadra: destroy Dakṣa’s sacrifice and subdue those who support the insult; the atmosphere is charged with righteous fury.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without humility and reverence becomes empty; dharma protects devotion over prideful ceremony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography, but this verse specifically addresses Dakṣa’s yajña rather than a Kāśī tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive prescription; the verse critiques a corrupted yajña and orders its cessation.