Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

प्रत्युवाचाथ तं विप्रं वेपमानांगयष्टिकः । दक्षः प्रजापती रोषाज्जिघांसुरिव तं द्विजम्

Transliteration

pratyuvācātha taṃ vipraṃ vepamānāṃgayaṣṭikaḥ | dakṣaḥ prajāpatī roṣājjighāṃsuriva taṃ dvijam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പ്രജാപതി ദക്ഷൻ ആ വിപ്രനോട് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു; ക്രോധത്തിൽ അവന്റെ ശരീരം വിറച്ചു, ആ ദ്വിജനെ വധിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവനെപ്പോലെ।

Word by Word

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• atha: then
• atha: Avyaya (Discourse/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/then

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vipram: the brāhmaṇa
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vepamāna-aṅga-yaṣṭikaḥ: whose body/limbs were trembling
• vepamāna-aṅga-yaṣṭikaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vepamāna (√vep, शानच्-कृदन्त) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + yaṣṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वेपमानाः अङ्गयष्टिकाः यस्य सः’ = whose limbs/staff-like body was trembling

• dakṣaḥ: Dakṣa
• dakṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prajāpatiḥ: the lord of creatures (Prajāpati)
• prajāpatiḥ: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (प्रजायाः पतिः)

• roṣāt: from anger
• roṣāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ (because of)

• jighāṃsuḥ: wishing to kill
• jighāṃsuḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: देशिदेरिवेटिव/इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (सन्-प्रत्ययान्त: जिघांसु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; desiderative participle ‘wishing to kill’

• iva: as if
• iva: Avyaya (Comparison/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा (like/as if)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• dvijam: the twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• dvijam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame traditionally Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa answers Dadhīci with trembling limbs, fury visible, as if ready to strike; the brāhmaṇa stands firm amid the ritual assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Prajāpati
• Dadhīci (implied as vipra/dvija)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When authority is ruled by anger, it turns against dharma itself—especially by violating reverence owed to the twice-born and to truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit warning: a yajña-holder must maintain restraint and uphold brāhmaṇa-satkāra; otherwise the rite’s sanctity is threatened.