Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कार्यकारणरूपस्य सादृश्यमधिगच्छति । अतस्तं क्षीरवर्णाभं कल्माषयत पुत्रकाः

Transliteration

kāryakāraṇarūpasya sādṛśyamadhigacchati | atastaṃ kṣīravarṇābhaṃ kalmāṣayata putrakāḥ

Translation

“കാര്യത്തിന് കാരണരൂപത്തിന്റെ സാദൃശ്യം ലഭിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ആ അശ്വം ക്ഷീരവർണം—പാലുപോലെ ശ്വേതം. അതുകൊണ്ട്, മക്കളേ, അതിനെ കറുത്ത പുള്ളികളാൽ കൽമാഷമാക്കുവിൻ.”

Word by Word

• कार्य-कारण-रूपस्य: of the form of effect and cause
• कार्य-कारण-रूपस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कार्यकारणयोः रूपम्)

• सादृश्यम्: similarity
• सादृश्यम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधिगच्छति: attains; obtains
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (therefore)

• तम्: that (horse)
• तम्: Karma (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षीर-वर्ण-आभम्: having the color/appearance of milk
• क्षीर-वर्ण-आभम्: Visheshana (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (क्षीरस्य वर्णः, तेन आभः) = milk-colored

• कल्माषयत: make (it) spotted; darken
• कल्माषयत: Kriya (command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्माषय (नामधातु/धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; नामधातु ‘कल्माषयति’ = make spotted/blacken

• पुत्रकाः: O dear sons
• पुत्रकाः: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (vocative sense)

Speaker

Kadrū

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kadrū points toward an imagined white horse while addressing her serpent-sons; the sons prepare to smear or manifest dark spots—visual metaphor of staining the pure through deceit.

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Nāgas (Kādraveyas)
• Uccaiḥśravas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts deliberate falsification—an adharma act—highlighting why truth (satya) must be protected.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical narrative within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a plot instruction to commit deception.