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Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

कंकालकेतुर्दुर्वृत्तस्त्ववध्यः परहेतिभिः । तावद्गुप्तं समातिष्ठ शस्त्रागारेति गह्वरे

kaṃkālaketurdurvṛttastvavadhyaḥ parahetibhiḥ | tāvadguptaṃ samātiṣṭha śastrāgāreti gahvare

Kaṅkālaketu est d’une conduite mauvaise et nul ne peut le tuer par des armes d’autrui. Aussi, demeure caché pour l’heure dans l’armurerie, au fond de ce profond renfoncement.

कङ्कालकेतुःKankālaketu (proper name)
कङ्कालकेतुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकङ्काल-केतु (प्रातिपदिक; कङ्काल + केतु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुषभावः—‘कङ्कालः केतुः यस्य’ (नाम)
दुर्वृत्तःwicked, of bad conduct
दुर्वृत्तः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
तुbut, however
तु:
Discourse particle (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle)
अवध्यःinvulnerable, not to be slain
अवध्यः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासान्त विशेषण ‘वध्य’
परहेतिभिःby others' weapons
परहेतिभिः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootपर-हेति (प्रातिपदिक; पर + हेति)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘परस्य हेतिः’
तावत्until then
तावत्:
Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; तावत्-पर्यन्तं (until then)
गुप्तम्a protected/secret (place)
गुप्तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootगुप्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘गुप्त’ (protected/hidden)
समातिष्ठstay, take refuge, remain
समातिष्ठ:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम्-आ-स्था (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
शस्त्रागारarmoury, weapons-house
शस्त्रागार:
Adhikarana (Locative sense implied/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootशस्त्र-आगार (प्रातिपदिक; शस्त्र + आगार)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्यक्त-विभक्ति in quotation); तत्पुरुषः—‘शस्त्राणाम् आगारम्’
इतिthus
इति:
Quotation marker (इति)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)
गह्वरेin a cave, in a deep hollow
गह्वरे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootगह्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Vidyādharī

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Embedded addressee instructed to hide

Scene: A tense instruction: the wicked Kaṅkālaketu, unslayable by others’ weapons, approaches; the advised person is told to hide in a weapon-house, deep in a shadowy recess lined with arms.

K
Kaṅkālaketu
V
Vidyādharī

FAQs

When confronting overwhelming adharma, discernment and strategy are also forms of dharma.

Kāśī is the narrative setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the episode frames Kāśī as a dharmic arena where evil is ultimately checked.

None; the verse gives tactical counsel (to remain concealed).