Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तदा हितं ते वक्ष्यामि कुरु चैवाविचारितम् । ममैकवाक्यकरणात्स्त्रीजितो न भविप्यसि

Transliteration

tadā hitaṃ te vakṣyāmi kuru caivāvicāritam | mamaikavākyakaraṇātstrījito na bhavipyasi

Translation

«À présent je te dirai ce qui t’est salutaire : fais-le sans tarder. En accomplissant cette unique parole de moi, tu ne seras pas dit “vaincu par une femme”.»

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• हितम्: what is beneficial
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < धा (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘हित’ = beneficial thing (object of वक्ष्यामि)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अविचारितम्: without deliberation
• अविचारितम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + वि + चर् (धातु) → विचारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (do it without deliberation)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एकवाक्यकरणात्: from (your) carrying out my single instruction
• एकवाक्यकरणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + करण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: एकस्य वाक्यस्य करणम् (doing a single instruction) + तस्मात् (from that)

• स्त्रीजितः: conquered by a woman
• स्त्रीजितः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < जि (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम् (त्वम्); तत्पुरुषः: स्त्रिया जितः (conquered by a woman)

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

• भविष्यसि: you will be
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narrator voice; quoted speech of the wife within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The female bird, composed amid peril, delivers a crisp instruction, her gaze steady; the male bird turns from panic to resolve.

Characters & Entities

• Patnī (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When right counsel appears, swift disciplined action is dharma; ego about who speaks the truth should be abandoned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger Kāśī-khaṇḍa context frames the teaching, but this verse itself focuses on nīti (practical dharma), not a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes a strategic action within the narrative.