Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

यदोपेया गृहान्वत्स खेलित्वा बालखेलनैः । तदानर्घ्यार्घ्यमुत्स्रष्टुं स्तनौस्यातामिवोन्मुखौ

Transliteration

yadopeyā gṛhānvatsa khelitvā bālakhelanaiḥ | tadānarghyārghyamutsraṣṭuṃ stanausyātāmivonmukhau

Translation

കുഞ്ഞേ! ബാലകളികളിൽ കളിച്ച് വീട്ടിലേക്കു മടങ്ങിവരുമ്പോൾ, എന്റെ സ്തനങ്ങൾ അമൂല്യ അർഘ്യം ഒഴുക്കാൻ ഉത്സുകമായി ഉയരുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal link/कालसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — ‘when’

• उपेया: to be visited/approached
• उपेया: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + इ (धातु) → उपेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/य-प्रत्यय, ‘to be gone/approached’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘to be approached/visited’ (गन्तव्या)

• गृहान्: homes
• गृहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — ‘houses/home’

• वत्स: O child
• वत्स: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘O child/dear’

• खेलित्वा: having played
• खेलित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खेल् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/ल्यप्, अव्ययभाव), ‘having played’ (पूर्वकाल)

• बालखेलनैः: with childish games
• बालखेलनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + खेलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन — ‘with childish games’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — ‘then’

• अनर्घ्य: priceless
• अनर्घ्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘priceless’ (अर्घ्यस्य विशेषण)

• अर्घ्यम्: offering
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘offering/worship-gift’

• उत्स्रष्टुम्: to let out/release
• उत्स्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तुमुन्/Infinitive), ‘to release/let out’

• स्तनौ: the two breasts
• स्तनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — ‘two breasts’

• स्याताम्: would be
• स्याताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन — ‘would be’

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमावाचक — ‘as if/like’

• उन्मुखौ: eager, upturned
• उन्मुखौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — ‘turned upward/eager’ (स्तनयोः विशेषणम्)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (likely a mother addressing her child within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mother figure at the doorway, child returning from play; her body responds with overflowing affection, compared to raising vessels to pour a priceless arghya—an intimate domestic moment with ritual overtones.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts selfless giving as instinctive and sacred—echoing purāṇic ideals of nurturing and generosity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; ‘offering’ is used metaphorically.