Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

कस्त्वमत्र कृतांतस्य भवनं मधुराकृते । प्राप्तो मे मंदभाग्यायाश्चेतोवृत्तिं निरुंधयन्

Transliteration

kastvamatra kṛtāṃtasya bhavanaṃ madhurākṛte | prāpto me maṃdabhāgyāyāścetovṛttiṃ niruṃdhayan

Translation

Qui es-tu ici, dans la demeure même de Kṛtānta (la Mort), ô toi à la forme suave ? Tu es venue et, pour moi, infortuné, tu retiens et apaises les mouvements agités de mon esprit.

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सम्बोधनार्थ सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• कृतान्तस्य: of Yama (Death)
• कृतान्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भवनम्: house, abode
• भवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मधुराकृते: O sweet-formed one
• मधुराकृते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुरा-आकृति (प्रातिपदिक; मधुरा + आकृति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘मधुरा आकृतिः यस्य/यस्याः’

• प्राप्तः: having come, arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आगतः/प्राप्तः’

• मे: my, of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• मन्दभाग्यायाः: of (me) unfortunate
• मन्दभाग्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्दभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘मन्दं भाग्यं यस्याः’

• चेतोवृत्तिम्: mental activity, state of mind
• चेतोवृत्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस्-वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; चेतस् + वृत्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘चेतसः वृत्तिः’

• निरुन्धयन्: restraining, blocking
• निरुन्धयन्: Karta (Agentive participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-रुध् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी धातु; ‘रोधयन्’

Speaker

Vidyādharī (addressing a heroic protector/visitor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya (frame); within episode, a female speaker addresses a ‘sweet-formed’ person

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened speaker stands at a shadowed threshold described as Kṛtānta’s abode; a radiant, sweet-formed figure appears, calming the speaker’s restless mind amid an ominous, otherworldly atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtānta (Yama/Death)
• Vidyādharī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in the shadow of death, a righteous presence can steady the mind; inner composure is portrayed as a form of protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied by the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting; the verse evokes Kāśī’s power to confront fear and mortality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the emphasis is on mental restraint and courage amid danger.