Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

किं वृणे यावदित्थं सा चिंतयेच्चारुमध्यमा । तावत्तयानिरैक्षिष्ट वराकी बर्करी पुरः

Transliteration

kiṃ vṛṇe yāvaditthaṃ sā ciṃtayeccārumadhyamā | tāvattayāniraikṣiṣṭa varākī barkarī puraḥ

Translation

Tandis que la belle à la taille fine songeait encore : «Quelle grâce choisirai-je ?», la misérable chèvre Barkarī fut alors amenée sous ses yeux, se tenant juste devant elle.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (interrogative pronoun: neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• वृणे: I choose
• वृणे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (present indicative, 1st person singular, middle)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'as long as/while')

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun: feminine nominative singular)

• चिन्तयेत्: might think/should think
• चिन्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular, active)

• चारु-मध्यमा: she of lovely waist
• चारु-मध्यमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्यमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular; karmadhāraya: 'having a lovely waist')

• तावत्: just then
• तावत्: Sambandha (Link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (correlative adverb: 'then/so long/just then')

• तया: by her
• तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (pronoun: feminine instrumental singular)

• निरैक्षिष्ट: looked at/observed
• निरैक्षिष्ट: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (आगमयुक्त-आorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (aorist, 3rd person singular, active)

• वराकी: the poor woman
• वराकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• बर्करी: Barkarī (name)
• बर्करी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्करी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular; proper name)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Desha/Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/postposition: 'in front')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame typical; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A graceful woman pauses in thought, poised to ask a boon; before her, a pitiable she-goat (Barkarī) is brought forward, standing close, eyes pleading; Śiva’s presence implied as the boon-giver.

Characters & Entities

• Barkarī
• Sulakṣaṇā
• Kāśī (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A decisive moment is set up: true dharma often begins with mindful choice—what boon one seeks reveals one’s values.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this specific verse is narrative setup rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the situation leading to a moral choice.