Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

दूतीषु कोनुरागोयं महाराजाल्पिकास्विह । अनायासेन च वयमायास्यामस्तदागमात्

Transliteration

dūtīṣu konurāgoyaṃ mahārājālpikāsviha | anāyāsena ca vayamāyāsyāmastadāgamāt

Translation

Wahai maharaja, apakah gerangan keterikatan ini kepada utusan perempuan yang remeh seperti kami? Bagaimanapun, ketika saat kedatangan tiba, kami akan datang kembali dengan mudah, tanpa susah payah.

Word by Word

• दूतीषु: among female messengers
• दूतीषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अनुरागः: attachment, fondness
• अनुरागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुराग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा+राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महान् राजा (कर्मधारयः); पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• अल्पिकासु: in/among the insignificant (women)
• अल्पिकासु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अनायासेन: without effort, easily
• अनायासेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनायास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine) / नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) प्रयोगः; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• आयास्यामः: we shall come
• आयास्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th) एकवचन (singular) (अत्र ‘तस्य’ अर्थे)

• आगमात्: from (his/its) coming; because of the arrival
• आगमात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Kālarātrī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kālarātrī dismisses the king’s attraction with cool disdain, asserting their insignificance as envoys and the certainty of their return when time dictates; the daitya’s desire is checked by her composure.

Characters & Entities

• Kālarātrī
• Daitya king
• Dūtī (female envoy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire directed toward what is improper (messengers) is condemned; self-control and respect for dharmic roles are upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.