Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विनतायां गतायां तु कद्रूराहूय चांगजान् । उवाच यात वै पुत्रा द्रुतं वचनतो मम

Transliteration

vinatāyāṃ gatāyāṃ tu kadrūrāhūya cāṃgajān | uvāca yāta vai putrā drutaṃ vacanato mama

Translation

വിനത പോയശേഷം കദ്രൂ തന്റെ പുത്രന്മാരെ വിളിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു—“മക്കളേ, എന്റെ വചനപ്രകാരം വേഗം പോകുവിൻ.”

Word by Word

• विनतायाम्: when Vinatā (had)
• विनतायाम्: Adhikarana (locative/absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative absolute component)

• गतायाम्: having gone
• गतायाम्: Adhikarana (locative/absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘गत’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• कद्रूः: Kadrū
• कद्रूः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Kriya-viseshana (gerundial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive); ‘आहूय’ = having called/summoned

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अङ्गजान्: her sons; offspring
• अङ्गजान्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘अङ्गात् जाताः’ = offspring/sons

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यात: go
• यात: Kriya (command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थ (indeed)

• पुत्राः: O sons
• पुत्राः: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense though form = nominative)

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-viseshana (adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वचनतः: according to (my) word
• वचनतः: Hetu/Anusara (according to)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘according to the word/command’

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Kadrū

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a shadowed palace chamber, Kadrū summons a coiling assembly of serpent-sons; her raised hand issues a sharp command as Vinatā has just departed.

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Vinatā
• Nāgas (Kādraveyas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It foreshadows how authority can be misused, setting up a contrast between righteous duty and harmful obedience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the episode is embedded in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s broader sacral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a command initiating the next action in the story.