Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

संचिकीर्षति दुष्टात्मा गतायुर्मम शापतः । मा तद्भीतिं कुरु युवंस्तत्कार्यं भविताचिरम्

Transliteration

saṃcikīrṣati duṣṭātmā gatāyurmama śāpataḥ | mā tadbhītiṃ kuru yuvaṃstatkāryaṃ bhavitāciram

Translation

ಆ ದುಷ್ಟಾತ್ಮನು ಏನೋ ಅನರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ; ಆದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಶಾಪದಿಂದ ಅವನ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ ಕ್ಷೀಣವಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಭಯಪಡಬೇಡ; ಅವನ ಅಂತ್ಯ ಶೀಘ್ರವೇ ಸಂಭವಿಸುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• सञ्चिकीर्षति: intends to do
• सञ्चिकीर्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-चि-कीर्ष् (धातु; चि/चेष्ट्-इच्छार्थे)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; इच्छार्थक-देशिदेरिवेटिव (desiderative) ‘चिकीर्षति’ = ‘कर्तुम् इच्छति’

• दुष्टात्मा: the wicked-souled one
• दुष्टात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; दुष्ट + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘दुष्टः आत्मा यस्य’

• गतायुः: whose lifespan is gone
• गतायुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत-आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक; गत + आयुस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘गतं आयुः यस्य’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• शापतः: because of the curse
• शापतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• मा: do not
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक (prohibitive particle, with imperative)

• तद्भीतिम्: fear of that
• तद्भीतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्-भीति (प्रातिपदिक; तद् + भीति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘तस्य भीतिः’

• कुरु: do, make
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• युवन्: O young one
• युवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (addressing a young man)

• तत्कार्यम्: that task/event
• तत्कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘तस्य कार्यम्’

• भविता: will happen, will be
• भविता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अचिरम्: soon
• अचिरम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अचिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (soon)

Speaker

Vidyādharī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The addressed youth/ally

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A confident protector declares that the wicked one’s lifespan is exhausted by a curse; the listener is told not to fear, as the foe’s end is near—tension resolves into steady courage.

Characters & Entities

• Vidyādharī
• Kaṅkālaketu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma may threaten, but it is ultimately bounded; fearlessness is grounded in trust that unrighteousness is transient.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; the verse itself does not name a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse offers reassurance based on a śāpa (curse) determining the villain’s fate.