Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

माल्यकेतुः कलावत्या इत्याकर्ण्य वचः स्फुटम् । क्षणं विचार्य स्वहृदि राजा प्रोवाच तां प्रियाम्

Transliteration

mālyaketuḥ kalāvatyā ityākarṇya vacaḥ sphuṭam | kṣaṇaṃ vicārya svahṛdi rājā provāca tāṃ priyām

Translation

Hearing Kalāvatī’s clear words, King Mālyaketu reflected for a moment within his heart and then spoke to his beloved.

Word by Word

• माल्यकेतुः: Mālyaketu (the king)
• माल्यकेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्यकेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—माल्य + केतु (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः)

• कलावत्या: by/ from Kalāvatī
• कलावत्या: Karta (Agent of gerund/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), परस्मैपदी; ‘श्रुत्वा/आकर्ण्य’ = having heard

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

• स्फुटम्: clear, distinct
• स्फुटम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वचः)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-accusative)

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Kriya (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘विचार्य’ = having reflected/considered

• स्वहृदि: in his own heart
• स्वहृदि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—स्व + हृदि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘स्वस्य हृदि’)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

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

• प्रियाम्: (his) beloved
• प्रियाम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ताम् इति सर्वनामस्य विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः (appositive)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, contextually)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in royal attire pauses in a quiet chamber, hand near chest in contemplation, facing Kalāvatī who has just spoken; attendants and insignia recede into shadow, signaling inward turn.

Characters & Entities

• Mālyaketu
• Kalāvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It models dharmic deliberation—important decisions should be weighed inwardly, not made rashly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter context moves toward Kāśī and its sacred Jñānavāpī, though this verse itself is narrative setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative transition.