Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन रक्षणीयस्त्वसौ शिशुः । गुणोपि दोषतां याति वक्रीभूते विधातरि

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena rakṣaṇīyastvasau śiśuḥ | guṇopi doṣatāṃ yāti vakrībhūte vidhātari

Translation

C’est pourquoi, par tous les moyens, il faut protéger cet enfant. Car même une vertu devient faute lorsque l’Ordonnateur du destin se fait contraire.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति पञ्चमी-रूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाव (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with every effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental) प्रयोगेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial instrumental: with all effort)

• रक्षणीयः: to be protected
• रक्षणीयः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) → रक्षणीय (कृदन्त; तव्यत्/अनीयर्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be protected); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• असौ: that (child)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिशुः: infant, child
• शिशुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गुणः: virtue, quality
• गुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: even/also)

• दोषताम्: the state of fault/vice
• दोषताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोषता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• याति: goes, turns into
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वक्रीभूते: when (he) has become adverse/crooked
• वक्रीभूते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्री (प्रातिपदिक) + भू (धातु) → भूत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव; ‘वक्रीभूत’ = crooked/turned adverse (PPP)

• विधातरि: in the Ordainer (Fate/Brahmā)
• विधातरि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (deduced from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage urgently advising guardians to protect a child; gestures of warning; protective amulets, lamps, and a threshold scene suggesting guarding against unseen forces.

Characters & Entities

• Vidhātṛ (Ordainer/Creator)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human effort and responsibility remain essential; one must act dharmically even while acknowledging destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī setting, but it does not praise a particular tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical injunction is given: protect the child with all effort; no specific rite is stated.