Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

इति देवी समाकर्ण्य सती दक्षकुमारिका । करादक्षौ समुत्सृज्य दध्यौ किंचित्क्षणं हृदि

Transliteration

iti devī samākarṇya satī dakṣakumārikā | karādakṣau samutsṛjya dadhyau kiṃcitkṣaṇaṃ hṛdi

Translation

Hearing this, the Goddess Satī, Dakṣa’s daughter, let her eyes fall from her hand (uncovered them) and reflected within her heart for a moment.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक — quotative particle ‘thus’

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — Absolutive/gerund; ‘having heard’

• सती: Satī
• सती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक; √अस् + शतृ/स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; नाम (proper name)

• दक्षकुमारिका: daughter of Dakṣa
• दक्षकुमारिका: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कुमारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दक्षस्य कुमारिका)

• करात्: from (her) hand
• करात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative (5th), Singular

• अक्षौ: (her) two eyes
• अक्षौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• समुत्सृज्य: having withdrawn/let go
• समुत्सृज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) — Absolutive/gerund; ‘having let go/withdrawn’

• दध्यौ: she pondered
• दध्यौ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; परिमाणार्थ (a little) विशेषण (क्षणम्)

• क्षणम्: a moment
• क्षणम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; कालपरिमाण

• हृदि: in (her) heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

Speaker

Narrator (within Skanda Purana Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary listener in the larger Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (traditionally ṛṣis/Śaunaka-group or a king), while the immediate in-scene listener is the audience of the narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Satī sits composed, hands near her face; she lowers her gaze, then closes/softens her eyes, entering a brief inward meditation; the background fades, emphasizing her heart’s resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī)
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satī’s pause signifies discernment—turning inward before action—modeling dharmic reflection in moments of conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.