Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

यदा यदैव तां पृच्छेदयेगुणनिधिः सुतः । न दृश्यते मया गेहे क्व याति विदधाति किम्

Transliteration

yadā yadaiva tāṃ pṛcchedayeguṇanidhiḥ sutaḥ | na dṛśyate mayā gehe kva yāti vidadhāti kim

Translation

Whenever her son Guṇanidhi questioned her—“I do not see him in the house; where does he go, and what does he do?”

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• यदा: whenever
• यदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पृच्छेत्: should ask
• पृच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गुणनिधिः: treasury of virtues
• गुणनिधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुणानां निधिः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• गेहे: in the house
• गेहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• याति: does he go
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विदधाति: does he do/arrange
• विदधाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A son (Guṇanidhi) respectfully questions his mother in a courtyard; his gesture indicates worry. The house doorway frames an empty path leading toward the ghāṭas, suggesting the absent person’s secretive departures.

Characters & Entities

• Guṇanidhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hidden wrongdoing breeds doubt and unrest within the family, showing how adharma cannot remain concealed for long.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative inquiry setting up the next explanation.