Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सा मंत्रिवाक्यमाकर्ण्य केवलं पतिदेवता । अत्याक्षीत्तं तथा प्राप्तं तनयं नयकोविदा

Transliteration

sā maṃtrivākyamākarṇya kevalaṃ patidevatā | atyākṣīttaṃ tathā prāptaṃ tanayaṃ nayakovidā

Translation

മന്ത്രിമാരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ടിട്ടും, ഭർത്താവിനെ മാത്രമേ ദേവനായി കണ്ടിരുന്ന അവൾ ആ ഉപദേശം തള്ളിക്കളഞ്ഞു. ആചാരത്തിൽ പ്രാവീണ്യമുള്ള രാജ്ഞി തനിക്കു ലഭിച്ച പുത്രനെ സ്വീകരിച്ച് സംരക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• maṃtri-vākyam: the ministers’ words
• maṃtri-vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃtrin (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; मन्त्रिणः वाक्यम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (accusative singular)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘आकर्ण्य’ = श्रुत्वा (having heard)

• kevalam: only/merely
• kevalam: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; विशेषणार्थे क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial use; only/merely)

• pati-devatā: (she who held) husband as deity
• pati-devatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; पतिः देवता यस्याः/यस्या इति (husband-as-deity; here as epithet)

• ati-ākṣīt: rejected/ignored
• ati-ākṣīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + √akṣ (अक्ष् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘अत्याक्षीत्’ = अत्यन्तं रक्षति/अवधीद् (context: rejected/ignored)

• tam: that (advice)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular; that)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)

• prāptam: obtained/received
• prāptam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√āp (आप् धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘प्राप्तम्’ (having obtained/received; agreeing with tanayam)

• tanayam: son
• tanayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• naya-kovidā: skilled in statecraft
• naya-kovidā: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naya (प्रातिपदिक) + kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; नये कोविदा इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (nominative singular; skilled in policy)

Speaker

Narrator voice (deductively: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen, composed and resolute, refuses the ministers’ demand and embraces the child, embodying protective dharma and inner strength.

Characters & Entities

• Queen (rājñī)
• Ministers (amātya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment (naya) includes steadfastness and compassion, not merely fear-driven decisions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Kāśī) but does not directly praise a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on moral choice and conduct.