Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 79
Devanagari script
काठिन्यं कष्टमस्मिंस्ते वनेभ्यो बहुधा गतम् । कुटिलत्वं नदीभ्यस्ते दुःसेव्यत्वं हिमादपि
Transliteration
kāṭhinyaṃ kaṣṭamasmiṃste vanebhyo bahudhā gatam | kuṭilatvaṃ nadībhyaste duḥsevyatvaṃ himādapi
Translation
നിന്റെ കാഠിന്യം പലവട്ടം വനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് ശേഖരിച്ചതുപോലെ; നിന്റെ കുചിതത്വം നദികളിൽ നിന്ന്; നിന്റെ ദുർസേവ്യത ഹിമ-തുഷാരത്തിൽ നിന്നുപോലും വന്നതുപോലെ।
Word by Word
काठिन्यम्hardness
काठिन्यम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाठिन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
कष्टम्painful / harsh
कष्टम्:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootकष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘काठिन्यम्’ इति विशेषणम्
अस्मिन्in this (one)
अस्मिन्:
Adhikarana (Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम
तेyour
ते:
Sambandha (Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; ‘काठिन्यम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
वनेभ्यःfrom forests
वनेभ्यः:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootवन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), बहुवचनम्
बहुधाin many ways / greatly
बहुधा:
Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootबहुधा (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: ‘in many ways/much’)
गतम्has come / has been derived
गतम्:
Kriya (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम् (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘काठिन्यम् … गतम्’ = ‘has come/derived’
कुटिलत्वम्crookedness
कुटिलत्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकुटिल + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
नदीभ्यःfrom rivers
नदीभ्यः:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootनदी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), बहुवचनम्
तेyour
ते:
Sambandha (Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘कुटिलत्वम्/दुःसेव्यत्वम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
दुःसेव्यत्वम्difficulty of being served/approached
दुःसेव्यत्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदुर् (उपसर्ग) + सेव् (धातु) → सेव्य (कृदन्त, यत्) + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘सेव्य’ (यत्) = ‘to be served/approached’
हिमात्from snow
हिमात्:
Apadana (Source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootहिम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्
अपिalso / even
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-कारः (particle: ‘also/even’)
Speaker
Śiva (addressing Girijā)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A montage-like metaphor: dark forest density, winding river curves, glittering ice—each ‘donating’ a trait to the goddess’s perceived temperament, while Śiva speaks sternly.
Characters & Entities
Ś
ŚivaG
GirijāF
ForestsR
RiversH
Hima (snow/ice)FAQs
Harshness and inaccessibility obstruct harmony; dharmic life favors softness, straightforwardness, and approachability.
None; the natural elements function as metaphors rather than a tīrtha-mahātmya.
None.