Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

धृत्वा पारषदीं मूर्तिमायातावंबिकांतिकम् । तावत्यंतं सुदुर्वृत्तावतिचंचलमानसा

Transliteration

dhṛtvā pāraṣadīṃ mūrtimāyātāvaṃbikāṃtikam | tāvatyaṃtaṃ sudurvṛttāvaticaṃcalamānasā

Translation

Ayant pris la forme de serviteurs, ils s’approchèrent d’Ambikā—ces deux êtres foncièrement pervers, l’esprit violemment agité.

Word by Word

• धृत्वा: having assumed/held
• धृत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: धृ; अर्थे: 'having held/taken'

• पारषदीम्: attendant-like / of a female attendant
• पारषदीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारषदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मूर्तिम्: form, body
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• आयातौ: (the two) came
• आयातौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle) from आ+या; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'having come' (came)

• अम्बिकान्तिकम्: to Ambikā’s vicinity
• अम्बिकान्तिकम्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense / destination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अम्बिका (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासवत् प्रयोगः; 'अम्बिकायाः अन्तिकम्' इति; गत्यर्थे अव्ययवत् (to the vicinity of Ambikā)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• अत्यन्तम्: excessively, very much
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• सुदुर्वृत्तौ: very wicked (the two)
• सुदुर्वृत्तौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम्; 'सु' उपसर्गार्थे तीव्रता

• अति: excessively
• अति: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preverb/adverb)

• चञ्चलमानसौ: with fickle minds
• चञ्चलमानसौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय: 'चञ्चलं मानसं यस्य' (as descriptive compound)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Ambikā-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two wicked beings, disguised as female attendants, slip into the Goddess Ambikā’s vicinity; their faces betray agitation despite the costume.

Characters & Entities

• Ambikā (Devī)
• Vidala
• Utpala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deceit and inner instability mark adharma; spiritual steadiness (sthira-manas) is implied as the opposite virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting in Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the narrative enhances its Mahātmya by depicting divine presence and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription appears in this verse.