Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

इत्थं दधीचिवचनं श्रुत्वा दक्षः प्रजापतिः । भृशं जज्वाल कोपेन हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मवत्

Transliteration

itthaṃ dadhīcivacanaṃ śrutvā dakṣaḥ prajāpatiḥ | bhṛśaṃ jajvāla kopena haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmavat

Translation

Entendant ainsi les paroles de Dadhīci, Dakṣa Prajāpati s’embrasa violemment de colère, tel le feu de l’oblation (havis) qui s’élève en traçant une traînée de fumée sombre.

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/in this manner)

• दधीचि: of Dadhīci
• दधीचि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• वचनम्: speech; words
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of श्रुत्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘दधीचेः वचनम्’

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having heard’

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रजापतिः: lord of creatures (Prajāpati)
• प्रजापतिः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण/renaming of दक्षः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘प्रजानां पतिः’

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक अव्यय (excessively, greatly)

• जज्वाल: blazed; flared up
• जज्वाल: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कोपेन: with anger; by anger
• कोपेन: Karana (करण/Instrument-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• हविषा: with oblation; with ghee-offering
• हविषा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृष्णवर्त्मवत्: like (fire) with a black track of smoke
• कृष्णवर्त्मवत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः ‘कृष्णं वर्त्म यस्य’ + वत्; अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगे उपमावाचक (like one having a black path/track)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa, seated as yajamāna, flares with anger after hearing Dadhīci; the sacrificial fire surges, sending a dark smoke trail upward; onlookers recoil, sensing impending calamity.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci
• Dakṣa
• Prajāpati
• Yajña fire (imagery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego and anger can corrupt sacred undertakings; even a yajña atmosphere can turn dark when pride resists dharmic correction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative within Kāśī Khaṇḍa and does not directly praise a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse uses sacrificial-fire imagery to describe an emotional reaction affecting the ritual setting.