Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य दुर्गस्य दनुजेशितुः । प्रोचुः सर्वे तदा दैत्याः प्रबद्धकरसंपुटाः

Transliteration

ityākarṇya vacastasya durgasya danujeśituḥ | procuḥ sarve tadā daityāḥ prabaddhakarasaṃpuṭāḥ

Translation

Thus hearing the words of that hard-hearted lord of the Dānava-s, all the Daitya-s then replied with their hands joined in reverence.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + कर्ण्/श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

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

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दुर्गस्य: of Durga (fortress/stronghold)
• दुर्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• दनुजेशितुः: of the lord of the Danujas (demons)
• दनुजेशितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशितृ (ईश् धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—दनुजानाम् ईशिता

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• दैत्याः: demons
• दैत्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रबद्धकरसंपुटाः: with hands joined (in reverence)
• प्रबद्धकरसंपुटाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रबद्ध (बन्ध् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि—प्रबद्धः करसंपुटः येषां ते (hands folded/joined)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narrator voice within Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A row of daityas, terrifying yet disciplined, stand with hands joined (prabaddha-kara-saṃpuṭa) responding to their hard-hearted lord; the contrast between monstrous forms and devotional gesture is striking.

Characters & Entities

• Danujeśitṛ (demon-lord)
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer gestures of reverence can coexist with inner unrighteous aims—Purāṇas often contrast formality with true dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicit in this verse; it is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s narrative sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it records a respectful posture (folded hands) in dialogue.