Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

एतदर्थं हि देवर्षि नृपा बंदी कृता मया । अनायासेन मे प्राप्ता गृहमेषा शुभोदयात्

Transliteration

etadarthaṃ hi devarṣi nṛpā baṃdī kṛtā mayā | anāyāsena me prāptā gṛhameṣā śubhodayāt

Translation

Wahai dewarṣi, demi tujuan inilah aku menjadikan para raja sebagai tawanan. Kini, dengan terbitnya tuah yang mulia, tanpa sebarang usaha, dia telah datang ke rumahku.

Word by Word

• एतदर्थम्: for this purpose
• एतदर्थम्: Hetu/Prayojana (Purpose/हेतु-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः ‘for this purpose’ (etad-arthaḥ)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• देवर्षि: O divine sage
• देवर्षि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘divine sage’

• नृपा: the king
• नृपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vedic/epic variant for नृपः)

• बंदी: a captive
• बंदी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘captive woman’

• कृता: was made
• कृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः ‘was made’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• अनायासेन: effortlessly
• अनायासेन: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनायास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘without effort’ (instrumental of manner)

• मे: for me/to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप (Genitive/Dative sg) ‘of/to me’; अत्र षष्ठी (possessive)

• प्राप्ता: has come/been obtained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has come/has been obtained’

• गृहम्: to the house
• गृहम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गन्तव्य-स्थान (goal)

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शुभोदयात्: from auspicious fortune
• शुभोदयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु-अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘from auspicious rise/fortune’

Speaker

Daitya king (unnamed in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devarṣi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A conqueror-king speaks to a divine seer, pointing to chained rival kings in the background; at the palace threshold, a radiant figure of ‘auspicious rise’ enters effortlessly, contrasting violence with effortless destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Devarṣi (addressed; unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power pursued for selfish ends (capturing kings) is framed as adharma; the text highlights how ‘easy gain’ can be a deceptive turning of fate.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this particular verse does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.