Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

कपालकेतुपुत्रेण दानवेन बलीयसा । आगामिन्यां तृतीयायां तस्याः पाणिग्रहृं किल

Transliteration

kapālaketuputreṇa dānavena balīyasā | āgāminyāṃ tṛtīyāyāṃ tasyāḥ pāṇigrahṛṃ kila

Translation

കപാലകേതുവിന്റെ പുത്രനായ അതിബലവാനായ ദാനവൻ, വരാനിരിക്കുന്ന തൃതീയാ തിഥിയിൽ അവളുടെ പാണിഗ്രഹണം (വിവാഹം) നടത്തുമെന്നു പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• kapālaketu-putreṇa: by the son of Kapālaketu
• kapālaketu-putreṇa: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapālaketu (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘कपालकेतोः पुत्रः’ (masc. instr. sg.)

• dānavena: by a demon
• dānavena: Karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन (masc. instr. sg.)

• balīyasā: stronger / very powerful
• balīyasā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balīyas (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (masc. instr. sg.)

• āgāminyām: in the coming
• āgāminyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (fem. loc. sg.)

• tṛtīyāyām: on the third (day/tithi)
• tṛtīyāyām: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथि/दिन-निर्देश (fem. loc. sg.)

• tasyāḥ: of her
• tasyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (fem. gen. sg.)

• pāṇi-grahaṇam: hand-taking (marriage)
• pāṇi-grahaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘पाणेः ग्रहणम्’ (neut. acc. sg.)

• kila: indeed / it is said
• kila: Sambandha (Discourse particle/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कथन-प्रमाण/श्रुत्यर्थ (indecl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king in the surrounding frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful Dānava (son of Kapālaketu) prepares for a forced ‘pāṇigrahaṇa’ on the upcoming tṛtīyā; ominous wedding preparations in a dark palace contrast with the girl’s distress.

Characters & Entities

• Kapālaketu
• Dānava
• Malayagandhinī (implied)
• Tṛtīyā-tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma tries to legitimize wrongdoing through outward ‘rites’; true dharma protects consent, purity, and rightful order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s larger sacred narrative tapestry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṇigraha (hand-taking) is referenced as the marriage act, and tṛtīyā-tithi is specified as the appointed day.