Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अस्थीनि दर्शयत्वाशु धनं दास्येऽधिकं ततः । इत्युक्ता तेन सा भिल्ली व्याजहार निजं पतिम्

Transliteration

asthīni darśayatvāśu dhanaṃ dāsye'dhikaṃ tataḥ | ityuktā tena sā bhillī vyājahāra nijaṃ patim

Translation

«Montre-moi vite les ossements ; ensuite je te donnerai une richesse plus grande encore.» Ainsi interpellée par lui, cette Bhillī s’adressa à son propre époux.

Word by Word

• अस्थीनि: bones
• अस्थीनि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• दर्शयत्वा: having shown
• दर्शयत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्यय; causative stem दर्शय- (to show) from √दृश्

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• धनम्: wealth, money
• धनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दास्ये: I will give
• दास्ये: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √दा (to give)

• अधिकम्: more, additional
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावे क्रियाविशेषण (thereafter/therefrom)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्ता: having been told/said to
• उक्ता: Karta (Subject, in passive construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + उद् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; √वच् with उपसर्ग उद्- (to say)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भिल्ली: the Bhillī woman
• भिल्ली: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्याजहार: said, spoke
• व्याजहार: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + वि-आ (उपसर्गौ)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √हृ/√आहृ (आहृ-आह) in sense ‘to speak’, with वि-आ-

• निजम्: her own
• निजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (Skanda relating to Agastya; quoted speaker within the story: the requester bargaining; then Bhillī responds)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker urgently offers increased wealth in exchange for immediate showing/return of the bones; Bhillī turns to speak to her husband, acting as intermediary.

Characters & Entities

• Bhillī
• pati (husband)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to wealth can lead to ethically fraught choices; the narrative sets up consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the setting is within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts a transactional offer rather than a dhārmic rite.