Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

देवे न मनसि ध्यातमिति कुंभजने मुने । विनापत्यं जनेतारं क उद्धर्तुमिह प्रभुः

Transliteration

deve na manasi dhyātamiti kuṃbhajane mune | vināpatyaṃ janetāraṃ ka uddhartumiha prabhuḥ

Translation

ໂອ ອະກັດສະຍະ ບຸດແຫ່ງໝໍ້ (ກຸມພະຊະ) ມຸນີເອີຍ, ທ່ານບໍ່ໄດ້ພິຈາລະນາພຣະເຈົ້າໃນໃຈ. ບໍ່ມີບຸດ—ຜູ້ສືບສາຍ—ແລ້ວ ໃນໂລກນີ້ ຜູ້ໃດຈະສາມາດຊ່ວຍກູ້ຜູ້ໃຫ້ກໍ່ກໍາເນີດໄດ້?

Word by Word

• देवे: in/with regard to the god
• देवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ध्यातम्: (was) meditated upon
• ध्यातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(it is) meditated/thought’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कुम्भजने: O pot-born (Agastya)
• कुम्भजने: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense in context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कुम्भात् जातः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (name: Agastya)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (without; governs instrumental/accusative usage)

• अपत्यम्: offspring
• अपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जनेतारम्: the begetter/father
• जनेतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जनेतृ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-तृच् (agent noun: begetter)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• उद्धर्तुम्: to rescue
• उद्धर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+हृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive (भावे), ‘to lift up/rescue’

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रभुः: able/lordly (one)
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses Agastya with admonitory compassion, pointing from outer lineage-concerns to inner contemplation of the Lord; Kāśī’s sacred ambience implied (ghāṭas, liṅga-shrines, ascetics).

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses inner remembrance of God and frames progeny as a dharmic support for familial continuity and ancestral uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) within the Kāśī Māhātmya, though this verse itself emphasizes dharma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights meditation on the Lord and the dharmic value of offspring for family duties.