Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कश्चित्तो यभृतं कुम्भं गृहीत्वा नर आव्रजत् । सतं प्रणम्य प्राहेदं कालभीतिं प्रहर्षतः

Transliteration

kaścitto yabhṛtaṃ kumbhaṃ gṛhītvā nara āvrajat | sataṃ praṇamya prāhedaṃ kālabhītiṃ praharṣataḥ

Translation

Dann kam ein Mann, der einen Krug voller Wasser trug. Er verneigte sich vor jenem heiligen Asketen und sprach freudig diese Worte zu Kālabhīti.

Word by Word

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• तोयभृतम्: filled with water
• तोयभृतम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय+भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयवत्/उपपद: तोयं भृतं यस्मिन्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; कुम्भम् इति विशेषण

• कुम्भम्: a pot
• कुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having taken)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; कश्चित् इति समानाधिकरण

• आव्रजत्: came/approached
• आव्रजत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सतम्: the holy man
• सतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; (सन्तम्) साधु/महात्मानम्

• प्रणम्य: having bowed to
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bowed)

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• कालभीतिम्: to Kālabhīti
• कालभीतिम्: Sampradana (Addressee/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल+भीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: कालस्य भीतिः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (addressed as name)

• प्रहर्षतः: rejoicingly
• प्रहर्षतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+हृष् (धातु) → प्रहर्षत् (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) used adverbially; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन; (तस्य) प्रहर्षतः = while rejoicing

Speaker

Narrative voice (Maheshvara Khanda context: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating events)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler arrives holding a brimming water-pot, bows to the emaciated yet radiant ascetic, and speaks with visible joy; the contrast between the pot’s fullness and the ascetic’s long restraint is central.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving a tapasvin—especially at the moment of vow-completion—is portrayed as meritorious and joy-giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode occurs within a tīrtha setting in the chapter, but this verse does not specify the site’s name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bringing water in a kumbha and respectfully offering it to a saint/ascetic.