Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

बंदीकृताः सुरर्षीणां पत्न्यस्तेनातिदर्पिणा । दिवौकसः कृतास्तेन समस्ताः काननौकसः

Transliteration

baṃdīkṛtāḥ surarṣīṇāṃ patnyastenātidarpiṇā | divaukasaḥ kṛtāstena samastāḥ kānanaukasaḥ

Translation

あの甚だ驕慢な者は、天の聖仙たちの妻を捕らえて幽閉し、天界の住人すべてを森の住まい人のようにさせた。

Word by Word

• बन्दीकृताः: made captive, imprisoned
• बन्दीकृताः: Visheshya (Predicate/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्दीकृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु, उपसर्ग/प्रयोग: बन्दी-√कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• सुरर्षीणाम्: of the divine sages
• सुरर्षीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘सुराणां ऋषयः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• पत्न्यः: wives
• पत्न्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular) — ‘तद्’ सर्वनाम

• अतिदर्पिणा: by the exceedingly arrogant (one)
• अतिदर्पिणा: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘तेन’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिदर्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिवौकसः: the gods (dwellers in heaven)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘दिवि ओकः यस्य’ इति (दिवि-ओकस्) समासप्रयोगः

• कृताः: were made
• कृताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘were made’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• समस्ताः: all, entire
• समस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• काननौकसः: forest-dwellers
• काननौकसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — ‘कानने ओकः येषाम्’ इति तत्पुरुष

Speaker

Skanda (contextual attribution within Kāśīkhaṇḍa Uttarārdha dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tyrant’s regime: celestial sages’ wives guarded and confined; devas stripped of splendor, living in forest austerity, their ornaments replaced by bark garments; a mood of violated sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Surarṣi (divine seers)
• Divaukas (celestial beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unrestrained pride leads to adharma that harms even the most protected—sages and devas—showing why dharma must be defended.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this verse narrates oppression rather than directly praising a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description establishing the gravity of adharma.