Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23
Devanagari script
दुकूलांचल संपर्कैर्मृदुलैर्मृदुपाणिना । पप्रच्छ तनयं माता वद रोदनकारणम् । विद्यमाने नरपतौ शिशो केनापमानितः
Transliteration
dukūlāṃcala saṃparkairmṛdulairmṛdupāṇinā | papraccha tanayaṃ mātā vada rodanakāraṇam | vidyamāne narapatau śiśo kenāpamānitaḥ
Translation
母は柔らかな手で、上質の布の裾をそっと触れさせながら子に尋ねた。「泣く理由を申しておくれ。王が御座すのに、誰がこの幼子を辱めたのか。」
Word by Word
दुकूलाञ्चल(of) the hem of fine cloth
दुकूलाञ्चल:
Sambandha (Compound member)
TypeNoun
Rootदुकूल (प्रातिपदिक) + अञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद; ‘hem of a fine cloth’ (in compound with संपर्कैः)
संपर्कैःby touches
संपर्कैः:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootसंपर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘by contacts/touches’
मृदुलैःsoft
मृदुलैः:
Karana (Instrument qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृदुल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; qualifies संपर्कैः
मृदुपाणिनाwith a gentle hand
मृदुपाणिना:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमृदु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (मृदुः पाणिः यस्याः/यस्य) ‘with a gentle hand’
पप्रच्छasked
पप्रच्छ:
Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + पृच्छ् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘asked’
तनयम्(her) son
तनयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतनय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
माताthe mother
माता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
वदtell
वद:
Kriya (Imperative)
TypeVerb
Rootवद् (धातु)
Formलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘tell/say’
रोदनकारणम्the reason for crying
रोदनकारणम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरोदन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रोदनस्य कारणम्) ‘cause of crying’
विद्यमानेwhile (he) is present
विद्यमाने:
Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
TypeVerb
Rootविद्यमान (प्रातिपदिक; √विद् सत्तायाम्)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative absolute with नरपतौ
नरपतौwhen the king is (there)
नरपतौ:
Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
TypeNoun
Rootनरपति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; with विद्यमाने (locative absolute)
शिशोःof the child
शिशोः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootशिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of the child’
केनby whom
केन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; interrogative ‘by whom/with what’
अपमानितःinsulted
अपमानितः:
Kriya (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootअप + मान् (धातु)
Formकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate of शिशुः (understood)
Speaker
Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Sunīti, with a soft hand and the edge of her fine cloth, gently touches and steadies her son, asking the reason for his tears and who dared insult him despite the king’s presence.
Characters & Entities
D
DhruvaS
SunītiK
King (nṛpa/narapati)FAQs
Dharma begins with truthful inquiry—understanding the cause before reacting.
No tīrtha is singled out; this is a narrative passage within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred setting.
None.