Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

संपश्यते शिशुं तावत्पुरतः समवैक्षत । गृहीतशिशुमारं च पार्श्वेऽलंकृतकर्णिकम्

Transliteration

saṃpaśyate śiśuṃ tāvatpurataḥ samavaikṣata | gṛhītaśiśumāraṃ ca pārśve'laṃkṛtakarṇikam

Translation

Alors il vit l’enfant devant lui, et à ses côtés la créature prise, semblable à un crocodile, dont les ornements d’oreilles étaient parés.

Word by Word

• संपश्यते: sees, beholds
• संपश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• शिशुम्: the child
• शिशुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तावत्: just then; at that moment
• तावत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/adverb): ‘so much/just then’

• पुरतः: in front
• पुरतः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘in front’

• समवैक्षत: looked at; observed
• समवैक्षत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + √ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• गृहीत-शिशुमारम्: (one) holding a crocodile
• गृहीत-शिशुमारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (√ग्रह्, क्त/कृदन्त) + शिशुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारयवत्): ‘गृहीतः शिशुमारः यस्य’/‘having seized a crocodile’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• पार्श्वे: at the side
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अलंकृत-कर्णिकम्: having an ornamented ear/ear-ring
• अलंकृत-कर्णिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलंकृत (√कृ, क्त/कृदन्त) + कर्णिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘अलंकृतं कर्णिकं यस्य/यत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda to Agastya, contextually)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical frame; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/ascetic beholds a child standing before him; beside the child is a subdued crocodile-like creature, its ears ornamented, suggesting a supernatural being or tamed danger.

Characters & Entities

• Kardama
• Śiśu (child)
• Yādasa/Śiśumāra (aquatic creature)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the Lord’s domain, threats are subdued and displayed as powerless before the devotee.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, portrayed as a realm where Śiva’s guardianship becomes visible and immediate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive of the event’s outcome.