Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

भद्रकालीं नरो दृष्ट्वा नाभद्रं पश्यति क्वचित् । भद्रनागस्य पुरतो भद्रवाप्यां कृतोदकः

Transliteration

bhadrakālīṃ naro dṛṣṭvā nābhadraṃ paśyati kvacit | bhadranāgasya purato bhadravāpyāṃ kṛtodakaḥ

Translation

Ayant contemplé Bhadrakālī, l’homme ne voit nulle part aucun mauvais présage. Et après l’offrande d’eau à Bhadravāpī, devant Bhadranāga, il demeure à jamais de bon augure.

Word by Word

• भद्रकालीम्: Bhadrakālī (the goddess)
• भद्रकालीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रकाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—भद्रा च सा काली च (कर्मधारय)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अभद्रम्: inauspiciousness, misfortune
• अभद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: anywhere, ever
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/काल-अर्थे (adverb: ‘anywhere/ever’)

• भद्रनागस्य: of Bhadranāga
• भद्रनागस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रनाग (प्रातिपदिक: भद्र + नाग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—भद्रः नागः (कर्मधारय)

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक (adverb/postposition: ‘in front of’)

• भद्रवाप्याम्: in the Bhadravāpī (auspicious tank)
• भद्रवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रवापी (प्रातिपदिक: भद्रा + वापी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—भद्रा वापी (कर्मधारय)

• कृतोदकः: one who has performed the water-rite/ablution
• कृतोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतोदक (प्रातिपदिक: कृत + उदक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कृतम् उदकम् येन/यस्मिन् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘one who has made/arranged water’, i.e., has performed water-offering/ablution)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadravāpī (in front of Bhadranāga) with Bhadrakālī-darśana

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands before fierce-yet-benevolent Bhadrakālī; nearby a stone-marked nāga icon (Bhadranāga) guards a circular well (Bhadravāpī) where the pilgrim offers water, the atmosphere charged with protective auspiciousness.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrakālī
• Bhadranāga
• Bhadravāpī
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kāśī’s Devi-darśana and tīrtha-water rites are portrayed as direct remedies for inauspiciousness and fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhadrakālī’s darśana, Bhadravāpī (sacred water-site), and the spot before Bhadranāga in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Bhadrakālī and performing an udaka rite (ablution/water-offering) at Bhadravāpī.