Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

कृपाणपाणिर्भग्नास्यो वामहस्तकपालधृत् । प्रचंडं क्ष्वेडयन्कश्चिदभ्यधावत्तमर्भकम्

Transliteration

kṛpāṇapāṇirbhagnāsyo vāmahastakapāladhṛt | pracaṃḍaṃ kṣveḍayankaścidabhyadhāvattamarbhakam

Translation

മറ്റൊരാൾ കൈയിൽ കൃപാണം, ഭഗ്നമുഖം; ഇടങ്കയ്യിൽ കപാലം ധരിച്ചു, പ്രചണ്ഡമായി ഗർജിച്ച് ആ ബാലനെ ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി പാഞ്ഞുവന്നു।

Word by Word

• कृपाणपाणिः: having a sword in hand
• कृपाणपाणिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपाण (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘यस्य पाणौ कृपाणं सः’

• भग्नास्यः: with a broken mouth/face
• भग्नास्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (धातु √भञ्ज्, क्त-प्रत्यय, कृदन्त) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘यस्य आस्यं भग्नम् सः’

• वामहस्तकपालधृत्: holding a skull in the left hand
• वामहस्तकपालधृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + कपाल (प्रातिपदिक) + धृत् (धातु √धृ, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः = ‘यस्य वामहस्ते कपालं धृतम् सः’

• प्रचण्डम्: fiercely, violently
• प्रचण्डम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रचण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणवत् नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• क्ष्वेडयन्: roaring/hissing
• क्ष्वेडयन्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धातु √क्ष्वेड् (to roar/hiss) (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्तः (शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावेन

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभ्यधावत्: ran towards, rushed at
• अभ्यधावत्: Kriya (Main predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धातु √धाव् (to run) (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः ‘अभि-’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अर्भकम्: the child, the boy
• अर्भकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्भक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A broken-mouthed, weapon-bearing attacker rushes at a child: sword raised in the right hand, skull held in the left, roaring fiercely; the child remains poised, suggesting unseen divine protection.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas
• Kapāla (skull, as an object)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Terrifying symbols of death and violence are framed as tests; dharma is to keep one’s vow and not yield to fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger Kāśīkhaṇḍa glorifies Kāśī; this verse is part of the narrative of obstacles rather than a tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.