Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सत्यं मुने सती देवी तृणीचक्रे स्वजीवितम् । जोषं स्थिते मुनौ तत्र तन्महाकालसाध्वसात्

Transliteration

satyaṃ mune satī devī tṛṇīcakre svajīvitam | joṣaṃ sthite munau tatra tanmahākālasādhvasāt

Translation

C’est vérité, ô sage : la déesse Satī tint sa vie pour de la paille. Et si le sage demeura là, silencieux, ce fut par crainte révérencielle devant ce Mahākāla.

Word by Word

• satyam: truly
• satyam: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वाक्योपक्रमे सत्यार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: truly/indeed)

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• satī: Satī
• satī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; satī-विशेष्य (apposition)

• tṛṇīcakre: treated as straw
• tṛṇīcakre: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛṇī-kṛ (धातु; तृणीकृ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sva-jīvitam: her own life
• sva-jīvitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• joṣam: silently
• joṣam: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: joṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: silently/without protest)

• sthite: when (he) was present/standing
• sthite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; locative absolute with munau

• munau: in/when the sage (was there)
• munau: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• tat-mahākāla-sādhvasāt: from fear of that Mahākāla
• tat-mahākāla-sādhvasāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhvasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mahākāla-sādhvasa = fear of Mahākāla) with तत्-सम्बन्ध; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Mahākāla as presiding power)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed sage within the story-frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage stands silent, struck by awe of Mahākāla; the narrative voice confirms Satī’s act as truth, heightening the solemnity before the impending cosmic reaction.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Mahākāla
• Śiva
• Muni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Before the overwhelming reality of Mahākāla, even sages fall silent; divine majesty commands reverent restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla is highlighted—central to Kāśī’s Shaiva identity within the Skanda Purana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse underscores bhaya-bhakti (awe-filled devotion) and respect for divine order.