Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

प्रलपंतमिव प्रोच्चैः प्रियं कनककुंडला । बभाषेंऽतर्विनिःश्वस्य यक्षिणी सा पतिव्रता

Transliteration

pralapaṃtamiva proccaiḥ priyaṃ kanakakuṃḍalā | babhāṣeṃ'tarviniḥśvasya yakṣiṇī sā pativratā

Translation

Comme s’il se lamentait à haute voix, cette Yakṣiṇī, fidèle à son époux, parla à son bien-aimé Kanakakuṇḍala, en poussant au fond d’elle un profond soupir.

Word by Word

• प्रलपन्तम्: speaking incoherently, lamenting
• प्रलपन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + लप् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त) → प्रलपन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha/Comparison (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: 'as if/like')

• प्रोच्चैः: aloud, loudly
• प्रोच्चैः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'aloud/very loudly')

• प्रियम्: the beloved (husband)
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.); संबोधनार्थे/सम्बन्धे 'beloved'

• कनककुण्डला: Kanakakuṇḍalā (the one with golden earrings)
• कनककुण्डला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कनकस्य कुण्डले यस्याः/या) नामरूपेण (fem. nom. sg.)

• बभाषे: spoke
• बभाषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg. perf.)

• अन्तः: within, inwardly
• अन्तः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्तर्वाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'within/inwardly')

• विनिःश्वस्य: having sighed
• विनिःश्वस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावे (absolutive/gerund); 'विनिःश्वस्य' = having sighed; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण

• यक्षिणी: the yakṣiṇī (female yakṣa)
• यक्षिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्षिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (fem. nom. sg.)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (fem. nom. sg.)

• पतिव्रता: devoted to her husband
• पतिव्रता: Karta-qualifier (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः) विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Narrator (within Kāśīkhaṇḍa; deductively Skanda’s narration to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (narrative backdrop)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the Purāṇic frame (ṛṣi/śaunaka-style setting not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pativratā yakṣiṇī, eyes moist, speaking as if in loud lament, while inwardly sighing; her beloved Kanakakuṇḍala listens in a twilight Kāśī grove near a shrine or ghāṭ.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣiṇī
• Kanakakuṇḍala
• pativratā-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse foregrounds pativratā-dharma and compassionate counsel within marriage as a dharmic response to suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra indirectly, as the episode belongs to its māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative setup indicating counsel will follow.