Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

किं कुर्वंति हि शास्त्राणि सप्रमाणानि सुंदरि । महामायां भवित्री तां को निवारयितुं क्षमः

Transliteration

kiṃ kurvaṃti hi śāstrāṇi sapramāṇāni suṃdari | mahāmāyāṃ bhavitrī tāṃ ko nivārayituṃ kṣamaḥ

Translation

What can the śāstras truly do, even with all their proofs, O fair one? When Great Māyā is about to arise, who is able to restrain her?

Word by Word

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

• कुर्वन्ति: do, accomplish
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (particle: indeed/for)

• शास्त्राणि: scriptures, treatises
• शास्त्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सप्रमाणानि: with proofs/authorities
• सप्रमाणानि: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग-सदृश; सह) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: प्रमाणैः सह (सह-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; शास्त्राणि-विशेषणम्

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• महामायाम्: great illusion/power of delusion
• महामायाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महती माया (कर्मधारय); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• भवित्री: (that) which will come to be / destined to be
• भवित्री: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (agent noun/participle: "one who will be/that which is to be"); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; महामायाम्-विशेषणम् (future-oriented epithet)

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

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• निवारयितुम्: to prevent, to restrain
• निवारयितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वारय् (धातु; णिच्)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive (purpose): "to restrain/prevent"

• क्षमः: able, capable
• क्षमः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समर्थः (able)

Speaker

Agastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘sundarī’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agastya addresses the Goddess: scriptures appear as palm-leaf stacks and pramāṇa symbols, while a translucent veil labeled ‘Māyā’ rises, showing the tension between textual authority and inner delusion.

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Sundarī/Devī (listener)
• Mahāmāyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural knowledge alone may fail when māyā overwhelms the mind; one needs inner steadiness and grace to remain aligned with liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The site is not named in the verse, but the teaching occurs within the Kāśī-kṣetra māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a reflective teaching about māyā and the limits of mere argumentation.