Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37
Devanagari script
तत्कर्मसूत्रैराकृष्टो भिल्लःकार्पटिकप्रियः । तूर्णं तदायुष्यमिव तत्रोपस्थितवान् क्षणात्
Transliteration
tatkarmasūtrairākṛṣṭo bhillaḥkārpaṭikapriyaḥ | tūrṇaṃ tadāyuṣyamiva tatropasthitavān kṣaṇāt
Translation
自らの業（カルマ）の糸に引き寄せられ、托鉢者を狙うことを好むビッラ（Bhilla）は、寿命そのものに召されたかのように、たちまちそこへ疾く現れた。
Word by Word
तत्his/that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitive sense) used as पूर्वपद in समास: ‘his/that’
कर्मसूत्रैःby the cords/threads (of his action)
कर्मसूत्रैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्म + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), बहुवचन (plural), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental, 3rd case); ‘कर्मणः सूत्रैः’ (by the cords/threads of action)
आकृष्टःpulled/drawn
आकृष्टः:
Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + कृश्/कृष् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); ‘drawn/pulled’
भिल्लःthe Bhilla (tribesman)
भिल्लः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभिल्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case)
कार्पटिकप्रियःdear to the mendicant
कार्पटिकप्रियः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकार्पटिक + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); विशेषण (adjective) to भिल्लः; ‘कार्पटिकस्य प्रियः’ (dear to the mendicant)
तूर्णम्quickly
तूर्णम्:
Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
तत्that
तत्:
Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-सम्भाव्य (nominative/accusative); here as पूर्वपद in समास: ‘that’
आयुष्यम्life-span / vital essence
आयुष्यम्:
Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootआयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); उपमान-प्रयोगे (as a simile term)
इवas if / like
इव:
Sambandha/Comparator (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formदेश-अव्यय (adverb of place)
उपस्थितवान्appeared/arrived
उपस्थितवान्:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootउप + स्था (धातु)
Formक्तवत्-प्रत्यय (perfective active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st case); ‘having appeared/arrived’
क्षणात्in a moment
क्षणात्:
Kala (Time/काल)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (masculine), एकवचन (singular), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative, 5th case); ‘within/from a moment’ (temporal ablative)
Speaker
Narrator (Skanda, deduced, reporting events)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (peripheral forest path)
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A Bhilla bandit, drawn as if by invisible karmic threads, suddenly appears on the path—his predatory intent contrasted with the pilgrims’ vulnerability and the guardian’s readiness.
Characters & Entities
B
BhillaK
kārpaṭikāḥ (mendicants)FAQs
Karma is portrayed as an unseen force that draws beings into consequences and encounters.
No specific tīrtha is named; it remains within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative landscape.
None.