Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

दीर्घं निःश्वस्य बहुशो मातुरग्रे रुरोद ह । सांत्वयित्वाश्रुनयना वदनं परिमार्ज्य च

Transliteration

dīrghaṃ niḥśvasya bahuśo māturagre ruroda ha | sāṃtvayitvāśrunayanā vadanaṃ parimārjya ca

Translation

ಅವನು ಮರುಮರು ದೀರ್ಘ ನಿಟ್ಟುಸಿರು ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾ ತಾಯಿಯ ಮುಂದೆ ಅತ್ತನು. ಕಣ್ಣೀರಿನಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿದ ಕಣ್ಣುಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಅವಳು ಅವನನ್ನು ಸಾಂತ್ವನಪಡಿಸಿ ಅವನ ಮುಖವನ್ನು ತೊಳೆದುಹಾಕಿದಳು.

Word by Word

• दीर्घम्: deeply/long
• दीर्घम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; adverb ‘deeply/for long’

• निःश्वस्य: having sighed
• निःश्वस्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निः + श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having sighed’

• बहुशः: many times
• बहुशः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय; ‘many times/repeatedly’

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of (his) mother’

• अग्रे: in front (of)
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत्; locative adverb ‘in front/presence’

• रुरोद: wept
• रुरोद: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘wept’

• ह: indeed (particle)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-अव्यय; expletive particle

• सान्त्वयित्वा: having consoled
• सान्त्वयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सान्त्वय् (धातु, denominative from सान्त्व)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having consoled’

• अश्रुनयना: tear-eyed
• अश्रुनयना: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + नयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (अश्रूणि नयने यस्याः) ‘she whose eyes had tears’

• वदनम्: face
• वदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परिमार्ज्य: having wiped
• परिमार्ज्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + मृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘having wiped/cleaned’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय; ‘and’

Speaker

Skanda (narrating to Agastya, per Kāśīkhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dhruva sighs repeatedly and cries before his mother; Sunīti, eyes filled with tears, comforts him and gently wipes his face.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Sunīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sorrow is acknowledged, yet guided by compassion toward steadiness rather than revenge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting provides the sacred frame, but the verse is domestic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.