Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

बलं तस्याखिलैर्ज्ञातं श्वेतं पाशयतः पुरा । धनदस्त्र्यंबकसखस्तच्चक्षुश्चाशुशुक्षणिः

Transliteration

balaṃ tasyākhilairjñātaṃ śvetaṃ pāśayataḥ purā | dhanadastryaṃbakasakhastaccakṣuścāśuśukṣaṇiḥ

Translation

Sa puissance fut jadis connue de tous, lorsqu’il vit Śveta lié par le lacet. Dhanada—ami de Tryambaka—s’y trouvait, et Āśuśukṣaṇi aussi, tels ses propres yeux, témoins de tout.

Word by Word

• balam: strength
• balam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (ज्ञातम् इति सह)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• akhilaiḥ: by all (people)
• akhilaiḥ: Karaṇa (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘सर्वैः’

• jñātam: was known
• jñātam: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• śvetam: white/bright
• śvetam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śveta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (balam)

• pāśayataḥ: of the beholder/observer
• pāśayataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśayant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present active participle used as noun): ‘पश्यतः’ (of the one who sees)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kālādhi-karaṇa (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• dhanadaḥ: Dhanada (Kubera)
• dhanadaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (कुबेर)

• tryaṃbaka-sakhaḥ: friend of Tryambaka (Śiva)
• tryaṃbaka-sakhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Epithet/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tryaṃbaka (प्रातिपदिक) + sakha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘त्र्यम्बकस्य सखा’

• tat-cakṣuḥ: his eye
• tat-cakṣuḥ: Viśeṣya (Appositional noun/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘तस्य चक्षुः’

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

• āśu-śukṣaṇiḥ: the quickly withering/drying one
• āśu-śukṣaṇiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Epithet/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśu (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + śukṣaṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘आशु (शीघ्रं) शुक्षणिः’ (शीघ्र-क्षयशीलः/शीघ्र-शोषकः इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Dadhīci

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience / interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic flashback tableau: Śveta is seen bound by a noose (pāśa), while powerful divine witnesses observe—Dhanada (Kubera), friend of Tryambaka, and another figure Āśuśukṣaṇi; the central ‘seer’ figure’s eyes are emphasized as swift, blazing witnesses.

Characters & Entities

• Śveta
• Pāśa (noose)
• Dhanada (Kubera)
• Tryambaka (Śiva)
• Āśuśukṣaṇi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic remembrance of witnessed events establishes authority: dharma’s power is verified through sacred history and divine witnesses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s sacred narrative space, where dharmic authority and Śaiva presence are affirmed through remembered episodes.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse functions as testimonial narrative (itihāsa-style validation) within the māhātmya.