Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

कदाचित्तां समालोक्य खेलंतीमुटजाजिरे । धर्मस्तत्तपसाकृष्टः प्रार्थयामास कन्यकाम्

Transliteration

kadācittāṃ samālokya khelaṃtīmuṭajājire | dharmastattapasākṛṣṭaḥ prārthayāmāsa kanyakām

Translation

Un jour, la voyant jouer dans la cour de l’ermitage, Dharma—attiré par la puissance de son tapas—se mit à demander cette jeune fille en mariage.

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once
• कदाचित्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समालोक्य: having looked at
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam + ā + √lok (लोक्, धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• खेलन्तीम्: playing
• खेलन्तीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √khel (खेल्, धातु) + शतृ (present participle)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि विशेषण

• उटज-अजिरे: in the hut-courtyard
• उटज-अजिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṭaja (प्रातिपदिक) + ajira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'उटजस्य अजिरे' (in the courtyard of the hut)

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्-तपसा: by that austerity
• तत्-तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग 'तपस्', तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'तस्य तपसा' (by that austerity)

• आकृष्टः: attracted
• आकृष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + √kṛṣ (कृष्, धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (attracted)

• प्रार्थयामास: begged/wooed
• प्रार्थयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √arth (अर्थ्, धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्यकाम्: the maiden
• कन्यकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśrama-locus within Kāśī narrative

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden plays innocently in the hermitage yard; Dharma appears—radiant, composed—yet visibly drawn toward her by the glow of her austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Maiden (unnamed here)
• Āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) radiates spiritual force that draws even cosmic principles (like Dharma), showing the Purāṇic valuation of disciplined purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī setting is implied; the verse itself centers on an āśrama episode within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the effect of tapas and the onset of a marriage request.