Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85
Devanagari script
यावत्स्वश क्तिं शक्तोपि न दर्शयति कर्हिचित् । तावत्स लंघ्यः सर्वेषां ज्वलनो दारुगो यथा
Transliteration
yāvatsvaśa ktiṃ śaktopi na darśayati karhicit | tāvatsa laṃghyaḥ sarveṣāṃ jvalano dārugo yathā
Translation
So long as a capable one does not display his own power at the proper time, so long is he disregarded by all—like fire concealed within wood.
Word by Word
yāvatas long as
yāvat:
Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (सम्बन्धावधि/यावत्-तावत्-सम्बन्धः), temporal-correlative indeclinable ‘as long as’
sva-śaktimhis own power
sva-śaktim:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootsva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वस्य शक्तिः’ → ‘स्वशक्तिः’ (own power)
śaktaḥcapable
śaktaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootśakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śak (धातु) + क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण ‘able/capable’
apieven/though
api:
Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, निपात (concessive/also ‘even’)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation)
darśayatishows
darśayati:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√dṛś (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमानकाल), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense ‘makes seen/shows’ (दर्शयति)
karhicitever/at any time
karhicit:
Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkarhicit (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, कालवाचक (at any time/ever)
tāvatso long/then
tāvat:
Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय (यावत्-तावत्-सम्बन्धः), correlative ‘so long/then’
saḥhe
saḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
laṃghyaḥis to be slighted/overstepped
laṃghyaḥ:
Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootlaṃghya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √laṅgh (धातु) + यत्/ण्यत्)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाव्य/योग्य-विशेषण ‘to be overstepped/insulted’
sarveṣāmof all
sarveṣām:
Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootsarva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of all’
jvalanaḥfire
jvalanaḥ:
Upamana/Drishtanta (Example-subject/दृष्टान्त)
TypeNoun
Rootjvalana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘fire’
dārugaḥ(fire) in wood/wood-fed
dārugaḥ:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdāruga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण ‘wood-(fed)/in wood’ (दारुगः)
yathājust as
yathā:
Upamana (Simile-marker/उपमान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, उपमानवाचक (as/just as)
Speaker
Narrative voice (contextual; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda’s discourse)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A piece of dry wood split open to reveal a glowing ember; nearby, people ignore the unlit log but gather once flame appears—allegory of hidden power becoming visible.
Characters & Entities
J
Jvalana (fire)D
Dāru (wood)FAQs
Dharma requires timely, measured assertion of strength; unexpressed capability fails to protect or inspire.
None; this is a general maxim within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative flow.
None.