Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

किं वा दक्षं समानीय देहि युध्यस्व वा मया । न दास्यसि च चेद्दक्षं ततस्तं रक्ष यत्नतः

Transliteration

kiṃ vā dakṣaṃ samānīya dehi yudhyasva vā mayā | na dāsyasi ca ceddakṣaṃ tatastaṃ rakṣa yatnataḥ

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ദക്ഷനെ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന് എന്റെ കൈയിൽ ഏല്പിക്ക; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ എന്നോടു യുദ്ധം ചെയ്‌തു നോക്കു. ദക്ഷനെ നീ ഏല്പിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ, അവനെ പരമശ്രമത്തോടെ കാത്തുകൊൾക.

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa
• दक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समानीय: having brought
• समानीय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘सम्+आ+नी’ (to bring together/bring)

• देहि: give
• देहि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• युध्यस्व: fight
• युध्यस्व: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• मया: by me / with me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• दास्यसि: you will give
• दास्यसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Hetu/Upapatti (Condition/हेतु-उपपत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• दक्षम्: Dakṣa
• दक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमसूचक (then/from that)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रक्ष: protect
• रक्ष: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial: with effort/carefully)

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience within the Purāṇic frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vīrabhadra issues an ultimatum: surrender Dakṣa or fight; the atmosphere is charged, with gaṇas poised and Viṣṇu’s presence steady yet ready.

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is contested, accountability is demanded; protection of wrongdoing invites direct confrontation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered teaching, but no distinct tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a challenge within the yajña-related narrative.