Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पतन्निपीतबाष्पांबुर्धैर्यात्किंचिन्न चोक्तवान् । उचिताऽनुचितं किंचिन्नोचिवान्सोपि पार्थिवः

Transliteration

patannipītabāṣpāṃburdhairyātkiṃcinna coktavān | ucitā'nucitaṃ kiṃcinnocivānsopi pārthivaḥ

Translation

ເມື່ອເຂົາຖອນຕົວ ເຂົາກໍກືນນ້ໍາຕາເຂົ້າໄປ; ແຕ່ດ້ວຍຄວາມກ້າຫານ ບໍ່ໄດ້ເວົ້າຫຍັງເລີຍ. ພຣະຣາຊາກໍສງົບ—ບໍ່ຕຣັດທັງສິ່ງຄວນ ຫຼືບໍ່ຄວນ

Word by Word

• पतन्: falling
• पतन्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘falling’

• निपीत: drunk in/suppressed
• निपीत: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier within compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + पा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having drunk/suppressed’

• बाष्पाम्बुः: tear-water (tears)
• बाष्पाम्बुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाष्प + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः बाष्पस्य अम्बु (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• धैर्यात्: from steadiness/courage
• धैर्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ ‘from/through steadiness’

• किंचित्: anything at all
• किंचित्: Karma (Object-like adverb/कर्मवत्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय, अल्पार्थक ‘a little/anything’

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• उक्तवान्: said/spoke
• उक्तवान्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्तवतु (perfective active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उचित: what is proper
• उचित: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उचित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘proper (thing)’

• अनुचितम्: what is improper
• अनुचितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘improper (thing)’

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object-like adverb/कर्मवत्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय, अल्पार्थक

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• उचिवान्: spoke/uttered
• उचिवान्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्तवतु (perfective active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having spoken’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Apposition to ‘सः’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The child retreats, swallowing tears; he says nothing. The king also remains silent, unable to utter either proper counsel or improper defense.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Uttānapāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhruva’s restraint shows inner strength, while the king’s silence highlights how attachment can weaken righteous intervention—prompting reflection on true rājadharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited in this verse; it is part of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.