Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

अप्राप्तयौवनः सोथ समिदाहरणाय वै । गतो विधिवशाद्दष्टो दंदशूकेन कानने

Transliteration

aprāptayauvanaḥ sotha samidāharaṇāya vai | gato vidhivaśāddaṣṭo daṃdaśūkena kānane

Translation

Puis, n’ayant pas encore atteint la jeunesse, il alla ramasser du bois ; mais, par la puissance du destin, il fut mordu par un serpent dans la forêt.

Word by Word

• अप्राप्तयौवनः: not yet having attained youth
• अप्राप्तयौवनः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √आप्) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपदक तत्पुरुषः—‘यौवनम् अप्राप्तः’ (one who has not attained youth)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (then/now)

• समित्: firewood
• समित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समिध्/समित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘firewood’

• आहरणाय: for bringing
• आहरणाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्-अर्थे/अर्थे ‘for the purpose of’), दत्त-प्रत्यय ‘-अण’ भावे; चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक दत्तिविभक्ति (dative of purpose)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘gone’

• विधिवशात्: due to fate/inevitability
• विधिवशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ‘विधेः वशः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; अपादानार्थे (ablative: due to/under compulsion of fate)

• दष्टः: was bitten
• दष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘bitten’

• दंदशूकेन: by a snake
• दंदशूकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्दशूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• कानने: in the forest
• कानने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: narrative voice in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages / audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pre-youth boy gathering firewood in a forest; a snake strikes unexpectedly; companions or the quiet forest witnesses the sudden reversal of fortune.

Characters & Entities

• Snake (daṃdaśūka)
• Forest (kānana)
• Vidhi (fate)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fragile and governed by karma and destiny; thus one should take refuge in dharma and devotion without delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse itself is a plot-turn within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative; the larger frame continues to glorify Kāśī as the saving sacred sphere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samid-āharaṇa—collecting kindling for sacred duties—is referenced as part of the character’s routine.