Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

तद्गच्छ कार्यसिद्ध्यै त्वं हत्वा तं दुष्टदानवम् । आनयाशु महाबाहो शुभां मलयगंधिनीम्

Transliteration

tadgaccha kāryasiddhyai tvaṃ hatvā taṃ duṣṭadānavam | ānayāśu mahābāho śubhāṃ malayagaṃdhinīm

Translation

“Pergilah, demi keberhasilan tugasmu. Bunuhlah Dānava yang jahat itu, dan segeralah bawa kembali, wahai yang berlengan perkasa, sang gadis suci yang semerbak laksana hembus cendana Malaya.”

Word by Word

• तत्: then, therefore
• तत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (निर्देशार्थ) = deictic particle ‘then/therefore’

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = imperative, 2nd person singular

• कार्यसिद्ध्यै: for accomplishing the task
• कार्यसिद्ध्यै: Sampradāna (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः) = feminine, dative singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन = pronoun, nominative singular

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (पूर्वकाल) = gerund/absolutive ‘having killed’

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = masculine, accusative singular

• दुष्टदानवम्: the wicked demon
• दुष्टदानवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दुष्टः दानवः) = masculine, accusative singular

• आनय: bring
• आनय: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = imperative, 2nd person singular

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = adverb

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् बाहुः यस्य) संबोधनरूप = masculine, vocative singular

• शुभाम्: auspicious, fair
• शुभाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = feminine, accusative singular

• मलयगन्धिनीम्: the fragrant one (with Malaya scent)
• मलयगन्धिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: malaya (प्रातिपदिक) + gandhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मलयस्य गन्धः यस्याः) = feminine, accusative singular

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Campakāvatī (mythic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Primary audience in-frame (sages) and secondary: the king addressed by Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada commands the king to depart, slay a wicked dānava, and return with an auspicious maiden whose fragrance is like Malaya’s sandal breeze.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Dānava (demon)
• Malaya (mountains)
• Vidyādharī (implied maiden)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through courageous action—removing harmful forces and safeguarding what is auspicious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly named; the verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative stream that ultimately exalts Kāśī’s sacred world.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; it emphasizes righteous duty (kṣātra-dharma) and swift, decisive action.