Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

करिणां तु सहस्रेण वराश्वानां न लक्षतः । तत्कर्मसिद्धिर्नृपतेर्दुर्गेणैकेन यद्भवेत्

Transliteration

kariṇāṃ tu sahasreṇa varāśvānāṃ na lakṣataḥ | tatkarmasiddhirnṛpaterdurgeṇaikena yadbhavet

Translation

“For a king, the success of an undertaking that may not be achieved even with a thousand elephants and a hundred thousand fine horses can be accomplished by a single fortress.”

Word by Word

• करिणाम्: of elephants
• करिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• सहस्रेण: by/with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वराश्वानाम्: of excellent horses
• वराश्वानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—कर्मधारय (वराः अश्वाः)

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

• लक्षतः: (they) suffice/are enough
• लक्षतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लक्ष (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual); परस्मैपद

• तत्कर्मसिद्धिः: the accomplishment of that task
• तत्कर्मसिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (तस्य कर्मणः सिद्धिः)

• नृपतेः: of the king
• नृपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुर्गेण: by/with a fort
• दुर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकेन: with a single (one)
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier) दुर्गेण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• भवेत्: may happen/come to be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (narration; proverbial reflection)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a royal counselor illustrates that one impregnable fort achieves what thousands of elephants and countless horses cannot; in the background, a symbolic ‘fortress’ subtly resembles a sacred enclosure of Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpati (king)
• Durga (fortress/refuge)
• Elephants
• Horses

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True security and success depend on strong refuge and wise protection, not merely raw force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, Kāśī’s sanctuaries are framed as the highest ‘durga’—a spiritual stronghold beyond worldly armies.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses royal imagery to elevate the principle of refuge and protection.