Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पल्लीपतिरभूदुग्रः पिंगाक्ष इति विश्रुतः । निर्विंध्यायास्तटे शूरः क्रूरकर्मपराङ्मुखः

Transliteration

pallīpatirabhūdugraḥ piṃgākṣa iti viśrutaḥ | nirviṃdhyāyāstaṭe śūraḥ krūrakarmaparāṅmukhaḥ

Translation

ಕಾಡುಪಳ್ಳಿಯ ಒಬ್ಬ ಉಗ್ರ ನಾಯಕನಿದ್ದನು, ‘ಪಿಂಗಾಕ್ಷ’ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ; ನಿರ್ವಿಂಧ್ಯಾ ನದಿತೀರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಶೂರನಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಕ್ರೂರಕರ್ಮಗಳಿಂದ ಪರಾಙ್ಮುಖನಾಗಿದ್ದನು।

Word by Word

• पल्लीपतिः: lord of the hamlet/tribal settlement
• पल्लीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पल्ली + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पल्ल्याः पतिः)

• अभूत्: became/was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उग्रः: fierce
• उग्रः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पल्लीपतिः-विशेषण)

• पिङ्गाक्षः: Piṅgākṣa (brown-eyed)
• पिङ्गाक्षः: Karta (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्ग + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पिङ्गे अक्षिणी यस्य/पिङ्गम् अक्षि)

• इति: thus, named
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यादि-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: well-known
• विश्रुतः: Karta (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निर्विन्ध्यायाः: of (the river) Nirvindhyā
• निर्विन्ध्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्विन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शूरः: brave
• शूरः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पल्लीपतिः-विशेषण)

• क्रूरकर्मपराङ्मुखः: averse to cruel actions
• क्रूरकर्मपराङ्मुखः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर + कर्मन् + पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्रूरे कर्मणि पराङ्मुखः = turned away from cruel deeds)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirvindhyā-taṭa (riverbank)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rugged forest-settlement (pallī) near a river; Piṅgākṣa, strong and alert with distinctive tawny/‘pingala’ eyes, stands armed yet composed, turning his face away from a scene of cruelty—signaling inner change.

Characters & Entities

• Piṅgākṣa
• Nirvindhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the powerful and fearsome can incline toward dharma by rejecting cruelty—setting the stage for spiritual transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly a tīrtha; it introduces a character and geography that will connect to the Kāśī-centered sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse is narrative setup, describing a person and place.