Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66
Devanagari script
कथं भुनक्ति स दिवा कथं रात्रौ स्वपित्यहो । रहः शर्म कथं तस्य यस्याभिभवनं रिपोः
Transliteration
kathaṃ bhunakti sa divā kathaṃ rātrau svapityaho | rahaḥ śarma kathaṃ tasya yasyābhibhavanaṃ ripoḥ
Translation
അവൻ പകൽ എങ്ങനെ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നു, അയ്യോ, രാത്രി എങ്ങനെ ഉറങ്ങുന്നു? ശത്രുവാൽ കീഴടക്കപ്പെട്ടവന് രഹസ്യമായ ഏകാന്തത്തിലും ശാന്തി എങ്ങനെ ലഭിക്കും?
Word by Word
कथम्how?
कथम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
भुनक्तिeats/enjoys
भुनक्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभुज् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun)
दिवाby day
दिवा:
Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदिव्/दिवा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
कथम्how?
कथम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय
रात्रौat night
रात्रौ:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
स्वपितिsleeps
स्वपिति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्वप् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
अहोalas!/indeed!
अहो:
Discourse particle (उद्गार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअहो (अव्यय)
Formविस्मय/खेदसूचक-अव्यय (exclamatory particle)
रहःin solitude/secretly
रहः:
Adhikarana (Manner/Place)
TypeNoun
Rootरहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र अव्ययीभाववत् 'एकान्ते' अर्थे (adverbial use)
शर्मcomfort, happiness
शर्म:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
कथम्how?
कथम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय
तस्यfor him/of him
तस्य:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (pronoun)
यस्यwhose
यस्य:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (relative pronoun)
अभिभवनम्overpowering, subjugation
अभिभवनम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअभि + भू (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → अभिभवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (action noun)
रिपोःof the enemy
रिपोः:
Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootरिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
Speaker
Vindhya (continuing his lament)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A defeated figure (Vindhya’s persona) is shown restless—food untouched by day, sleepless at night—shadowed by the sense of an enemy’s overpowering; Kāśī’s lamps and ghāṭas glimmer as distant solace.
Characters & Entities
V
VindhyaR
Ripu (enemy)FAQs
Defeat and humiliation, when internalized through ego, destroy peace, appetite, and rest.
None; this is introspective narrative speech.
None.