Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

सापि प्रत्युतभीतातं ध्रुवं ध्रुवविनिश्चयम् । नमस्कृत्य यथायातं याताव्यर्थमनोरथा

Transliteration

sāpi pratyutabhītātaṃ dhruvaṃ dhruvaviniścayam | namaskṛtya yathāyātaṃ yātāvyarthamanorathā

Translation

അവളും ഇപ്പോൾ ഭീതിയോടെ, ദൃഢനിശ്ചയനായ ധ്രുവനെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു, വന്ന വഴിയേ തന്നെ മടങ്ങിപ്പോയി; അവളുടെ ആഗ്രഹങ്ങൾ വ്യർത്ഥമായി।

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• प्रत्युत: indeed; on the contrary
• प्रत्युत: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्युत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/पर्यायार्थक-निपात (on the contrary/indeed)

• भीत-आतम्: the frightened, distressed (one)
• भीत-आतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (√भी + क्त) + आत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘भीतः आतः’ (frightened and distressed)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; ‘certainly’

• ध्रुवविनिश्चयम्: of firm determination
• ध्रुवविनिश्चयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव + विनिश्चय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘ध्रुवः विनिश्चयः यस्य’ (of firm resolve)

• नमस्कृत्य: having bowed/saluted
• नमस्कृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् + √कृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having saluted’

• यथा: as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (as/according to)

• आयातम्: as (she) had come
• आयातम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + √या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे—‘as (it was) come/arrived’

• याता: she went
• याता: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used finitely), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘went’

• अव्यर्थमनोरथा: whose desires were fulfilled
• अव्यर्थमनोरथा: Visheshana (Adjectival to सा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + व्यर्थ + मनो-रथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘अव्यर्थाः मनोरथाः यस्याः’ (whose wishes are not futile)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, commonly Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The once-menacing female/leader figure of the bhūta-host (implied by ‘sāpi’) bows to Dhruva, then turns back and departs, her ambitions broken; Dhruva remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva
• Bhūtāvalī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unwavering resolve grounded in dharma turns threats into surrender; spiritual firmness defeats fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Kāśī’s sacred cycle in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa; no distinct tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse underscores the fruit of steadfast practice rather than a formal rite.