Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

बालबालिशबुद्धित्वादभाग्या जठरोद्भव । अस्मिन्सिंहासने स्थातुं न त्वया सुकृतं कृतम्

Transliteration

bālabāliśabuddhitvādabhāgyā jaṭharodbhava | asminsiṃhāsane sthātuṃ na tvayā sukṛtaṃ kṛtam

Translation

“ബാലിശബുദ്ധിയാൽ, ദുര്ഭാഗ്യവാനേ, ഗർഭജനിതനേ! ഈ സിംഹാസനത്തിൽ നിൽക്കാൻ തക്ക പുണ്യകർമ്മം നീ ചെയ്തിട്ടില്ല.”

Word by Word

• बालबालिशबुद्धित्वात्: due to childish foolish-mindedness
• बालबालिशबुद्धित्वात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान; cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + बालिश (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (बालस्य बालिशस्य बुद्धिः तस्य भावः)

• अभाग्य: O unlucky one
• अभाग्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• जठरोद्भव: O womb-born (one)
• जठरोद्भव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जठरात् उद्भवः)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (in this)

• सिंहासने: on the throne
• सिंहासने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंहासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थातुम्: to sit/stand (remain)
• स्थातुम्: Karma (कर्म; complement of implied ability/fitness)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to stand/remain’

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण/Instrument; agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (addressed person), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (by you)

• सुकृतम्: merit; good deed
• सुकृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; with kṛtam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म/कर्मफलवाचक (merit/good deed)

• कृतम्: has been done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

Speaker

Skanda (narrating); direct speech: Suruci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Suruci points toward the throne, denying Dhruva; the throne looms as a symbol of worldly ‘adhikāra’; Dhruva’s posture tightens, eyes moist; the king’s face shows helplessness.

Characters & Entities

• Suruci
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse contrasts worldly status with the Purāṇic idea of sukṛta (merit), while also warning against adharmic, cruel speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s overarching subject is the sanctity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; “sukṛta” is invoked as a moral-spiritual principle rather than a named rite.