Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

गरुड उवाच । दासीत्वकारणं मातः किं ते जातं सुलक्षणे । दक्षप्रजापतेः पुत्रि कश्यपस्यप्रियेऽनघे

Transliteration

garuḍa uvāca | dāsītvakāraṇaṃ mātaḥ kiṃ te jātaṃ sulakṣaṇe | dakṣaprajāpateḥ putri kaśyapasyapriye'naghe

Translation

ഗരുഡൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അമ്മേ, ഹേ സുലക്ഷണേ! നിനക്ക് ദാസ്യാവസ്ഥ വരാൻ കാരണമെന്ത്? ഹേ പ്രജാപതി ദക്ഷന്റെ പുത്രിയേ, കശ്യപന്റെ പ്രിയയേ, ഹേ നിർമലയേ—നിനക്കു എന്തു സംഭവിച്ചു?

Word by Word

• गरुडः: Garuḍa
• गरुडः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दासीत्वकारणम्: the cause of (your) servitude
• दासीत्वकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दासी + त्व + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दासीत्वस्य कारणम् = cause of slavery)

• मातः: O mother
• मातः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) एकवचन; मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम (your)

• जातम्: happened/occurred
• जातम्: Kriya (Predicate/आख्यातार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ("born/occurred")

• सुलक्षणे: O auspicious one
• सुलक्षणे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (O well-marked/auspicious one)

• दक्षप्रजापतेः: of Dakṣa Prajāpati
• दक्षप्रजापतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष + प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दक्षः प्रजापतिः)

• पुत्रि: O daughter
• पुत्रि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कश्यपस्य: of Kaśyapa
• कश्यपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (प्रिय = dear)

• अनघे: O sinless one
• अनघे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अनघ = sinless)

Speaker

Garuḍa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (frame listener not specified in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa, youthful and radiant, addresses Vinatā with respectful intensity; Vinatā appears noble yet burdened, framed by subtle symbols of Dakṣa and Kaśyapa lineage (sages, sacrificial motifs).

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Vinatā
• Dakṣa Prajāpati
• Kaśyapa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with inquiry: understanding the origin of suffering and bondage is the first step toward liberation and right action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse establishes the narrative context through lineage and moral questioning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct question within a dialogue.