Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

वेणीदंडाश्च कासांचित्तेनच्छिन्ना महारुषा । कासांचिच्च कराश्छिन्ना कासांचित्कर्तितास्तनाः

Transliteration

veṇīdaṃḍāśca kāsāṃcittenacchinnā mahāruṣā | kāsāṃcicca karāśchinnā kāsāṃcitkartitāstanāḥ

Translation

അതിയായ കോപത്താൽ അവൻ ചിലരുടെ മുടി മുറിച്ചുമാറ്റി, ചിലരുടെ കൈകൾ അറുത്തു, മറ്റു ചിലരുടെ സ്തനങ്ങൾ ഛേദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वेणीदण्डाः: braid-sticks (hair-ornaments)
• वेणीदण्डाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणी (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; समासः—वेण्याः दण्डाः (braid-sticks/ornaments of braids)

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

• कासाञ्चित्: of some (women)
• कासाञ्चित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (of some)

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• छिन्नाः: cut off
• छिन्नाः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; (agreeing with वेणीदण्डाः)

• महारुषा: with great anger
• महारुषा: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + रुषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन; समासः—महती रुषा (with great anger)

• कासाञ्चित्: of some
• कासाञ्चित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• कराः: hands
• कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• छिन्नाः: cut off
• छिन्नाः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; (agreeing with कराः)

• कासाञ्चित्: of some
• कासाञ्चित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग

• कर्तिताः: severed
• कर्तिताः: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; णिजन्त-धात्वर्थ (made to be cut)

• स्तनाः: breasts
• स्तनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (didactic frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / internal audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women of the assembly in disarray; severed braid-ornaments and scattered hairpins; hands raised in defense; the furious gaṇa moving through the crowd; ritual vessels overturned.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva’s gaṇa/pārṣada (implied)
• yajña-assembly participants (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is weaponized for pride, the same public ‘festival’ becomes a stage for disgrace—warning against hypocrisy in religious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Śaiva worldview is reinforced: Śiva is not subordinate to ritual, and irreverence toward him is condemned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.