Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

किं वा दक्षं समानीय देहि युध्यस्व वा मया । न दास्यसि च चेद्दक्षं ततस्तं रक्ष यत्नतः

Transliteration

kiṃ vā dakṣaṃ samānīya dehi yudhyasva vā mayā | na dāsyasi ca ceddakṣaṃ tatastaṃ rakṣa yatnataḥ

Translation

Either bring Dakṣa and hand him over, or else fight with me. And if you will not give up Dakṣa, then guard him with all your effort.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa
• दक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समानीय: having brought
• समानीय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘सम्+आ+नी’ (to bring together/bring)

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• युध्यस्व: fight
• युध्यस्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• मया: by me / with me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• दास्यसि: you will give
• दास्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Hetu/Upapatti (Condition/हेतु-उपपत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa
• दक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमसूचक (then/from that)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial: with effort/carefully)

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience within the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra issues an ultimatum: surrender Dakṣa or fight; the atmosphere is charged, with gaṇas poised and Viṣṇu’s presence steady yet ready.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is contested, accountability is demanded; protection of wrongdoing invites direct confrontation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching, but no distinct tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a challenge within the yajña-related narrative.