Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अथापरस्मिन्नहनि स श्येनः प्रातरेव हि । तद्द्वारदेशमासाद्य सायं यावत्स्थितो बलः

Transliteration

athāparasminnahani sa śyenaḥ prātareva hi | taddvāradeśamāsādya sāyaṃ yāvatsthito balaḥ

Translation

मग दुसऱ्या दिवशी तो श्येन पहाटेच आला; घरट्याच्या दाराजवळ येऊन संध्याकाळपर्यंत बलाने तिथेच ठाण मांडून राहिला.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक — indeclinable, discourse particle (then/now)

• aparasmin: on another
• aparasmin: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषण (अहनि-विशेषण)

• ahani: day
• ahani: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन — locative singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — nominative singular

• śyenaḥ: hawk
• śyenaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyena (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — indeclinable, adverb (in the morning)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय — particle (for/indeed)

• tat-dvāra-deśam: the area of that door/gate
• tat-dvāra-deśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन — accusative singular; तत्पुरुष (तस्य द्वारस्य देशः)

• āsādya: having reached
• āsādya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-sad (सद् धातु)
• Form: ल्यबन्त (absolutive) — having reached/approached

• sāyam: in the evening
• sāyam: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāyam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — indeclinable, adverb (in the evening)

• yāvat: until/as long as
• yāvat: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक अव्यय — indeclinable (as long as/until)

• sthitaḥ: stood/remained
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; स्था धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — nominative singular; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• balaḥ: the strong one / strength (here: the strong (hawk))
• balaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — nominative singular; कर्तृपद (स्थिता-क्रियायाः)

Speaker

Narrator voice within Skanda’s narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame, typical)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hawk arrives at dawn, perches at the nest entrance, and holds position until evening—an image of sustained siege and looming threat.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Śyena (hawk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Danger can be persistent; dharma requires vigilance and timely, strategic action rather than delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account is situated within Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī, though the verse itself describes the unfolding of the tale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.